NY Attorney General warns against healthcare enrollment scams

STATEWIDE — NEW YORKERS ENROLLING IN HEALTH INSURANCE PLANS through the state's Affordable Care Act marketplace should remain alert for common scams, NY Attorney General Letitia James warned. As health insurance scams spike during open enrollment periods, the Office of the Attorney General is providing consumers with tips to protect themselves against potential fearmongering scams, such as by threatening New Yorkers that their Medicaid or other health coverage is at risk of cancellation or has already expired unless they provide hundreds of dollars to get reinstated.

Scammers typically demand money to enroll people in marketplace or "Obamacare" insurance, whereas the legitimate state agencies that administer health insurance benefits will never use the term "Obamacare" or ask for money from consumers to enroll or renew benefits. Nor will they offer rewards for renewals. Legitimate agencies will never charge fees to renew health insurance in the state's Medicaid, Child Health Plus or the Essential Plan. For more information on enrollment, readers can visit the website.

New York's open enrollment period lasts until Jan. 31. Enrolling before Dec. will start (or continue) coverage on Jan. 1, 2025. Coverage for those who enroll in January will begin on Feb. 1.

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