Wash. A.G. Ferguson Lawsuit Halts Insurance Company's Deceptive Imitation of the Washington Health Benefit Exchange Website
Attorney General
The court order, approved by
Health Insurance Team -- a private health insurance broker -- imitated the official state-run insurance exchange in order to drive consumers to purchase plans on its own site instead. Health Insurance Team created a website domain name, washingtonhealthplanfinder.org, that was nearly identical to the one used by the official state exchange, wahealthplanfinder.org. This official website is the only place Washingtonians can access tax credits and other federal assistance related to their health plans. Health Insurance Team also registered several other domain names using the phrase "healthplanfinder," even though the company had no prior history of using the phrase.
Moreover, the company used branding and logo design that looked similar to that for Washington Healthplanfinder.
"In the midst of an ongoing public health crisis, Washingtonians deserve clear, accurate information about their health care options," Ferguson said. "If you come across an imitation site posing as the real health care exchange, please contact my office. We will hold companies accountable for mimicking websites that deceive Washingtonians shopping for health care coverage."
"The Exchange urges Washingtonians to be cautious about fake health care websites that are posing as Washington Healthplanfinder,
On
A representative from the Washington Health Benefit Exchange informed the
Health Insurance Team continued to use the deceptive domain name until this year. Today's consent decree requires the company to stop all use of these domain names and prevents the company from continuing to use them, or any other deceptive marketing materials, in the future.
Assistant Attorneys General
Protect yourself from copy-cat websites
To report a website posing as the health benefits exchange, file a complaint with the
Enrollment for the purchase of health insurance opens this year on
The official marketplace for Washingtonians is the only place individuals can access tax credits and other federal assistance. The insurance plans offered by the Washington Health Benefit Exchange are the only plans to have guaranteed consumer protections and coverage, which plans purchased outside the marketplace may not.
Watch out for sham websites built to mimic the official exchange in order to steal private information, or websites that may look like the official site but contain incomplete or inaccurate information. To avoid scams, follow these tips while shopping for health insurance:
1. Verify the web address of the exchange: The only official web address for the online marketplace is www.wahealthplanfinder.org. Any other site with a variation on the name or with an address that ends in ".net" or ".com" is not the state's official marketplace. If you are unsure whether you have found the official website, call Washington Healthplanfinder toll-free at 1-855-WAFINDER.
2. Don't pay for free stuff: The official marketplace for the state of
3. Reach out to free, legitimate help: Only individuals who are certified by Washington Healthplanfinder or Medicaid to assist you with the enrollment process should request personal information to complete your application during a scheduled visit. This help is always free. If you don't know whether someone is certified to assist you, call the Washington Healthplanfinder Customer Support Center at 1-855-WAFINDER. Community volunteers trained by Medicaid can be verified by calling 1-800-562-3022 or emailing [email protected].
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