Minnesota consumer alert:

Minnesota Department of Commerce and MNsure, Minnesota's official health insurance marketplace, are issuing a joint public service announcement alerting consumers to be aware of scams targeting Minnesotans who are no longer eligible for Medical Assistance (Minnesota's Medicaid program).

This alert is specifically for Minnesotans who submitted their Medical Assistance renewal paperwork, found out they do not qualify for the program, and need to find new health insurance.

When trying to buy health insurance, they may be vulnerable to scams from someone pretending to be MNsure that sells them a bogus insurance product. In some cases, scammers have taken money from consumers by saying they must pay for help enrolling in a plan or asking them to pay for premiums up front over the phone.

"Consumers should be on the alert for health insurance scams, including people claiming to represent MNsure who are not legitimate. MNsure.org is the safest place for consumers to shop for and buy health insurance with confidence or connect with a trusted, MNsure-certified assister for free application and enrollment help," said CEO Libby Caulum.

"Scammers are trying to trick Minnesota consumers into signing up for something that sounds like comprehensive health insurance when it is not," said Jacqueline Olson, the Department of Commerce's assistant commissioner for enforcement.

"Our mission is to protect the interests of Minnesota consumers, and the Minnesota Commerce Fraud Bureau takes complaints about the fraudulent and unauthorized sale of insurance seriously. Scammers need to know that their conduct is being pursued."

Here are three tips for consumers to confirm you're working with MNsure:

Check the website URL. Make sure you

click on MNsure.org if using a search engine, or type MNsure.org into the address

bar.

Take advantage of MNsure's free

and anonymous cost estimates online.

MNsure.org has a cost estimator tool

that allows you to shop for health plans

without submitting your contact information. Be careful with websites that insist

on collecting your telephone number to

provide you with an estimate. Providing

your telephone number to these websites

may lead to numerous unwanted calls.

Watch out for unsolicited calls, especially those that require immediate payment.

MNsure has a statewide network of certified brokers and navigators who can help

Minnesotans apply and enroll in health

insurance, but they provide this help for

free. MNsure will never cold call you to try

and sell you health insurance or give your

phone number to a broker without your

prior permission, and MNsure will never

call and ask for a Social Security number,

credit card or bank account number.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU THINK YOU'VE BEEN SCAMMED

If you are asked to pay for assistance getting health insurance through MNsure or think you have been scammed, report it to MNsure immediately by calling the anonymous complaints telephone line at 844-466-7873.

Report the person's name, organization, contact information, and website you used. MNsure refers cases to the Minnesota Department of Commerce Enforcement Division, which investigates fraud complaints from consumers.