Scam Alerts
Bogus health coverage
Fake and deceptive health plans are spreading rapidly around the U.S. They’re operating in most states, exploiting a perfect storm of vulnerabilities: 46 million uninsured Americans, growing corporate layoffs, rising health premiums, and general financial distress of a troubled economy. Victims have been saddled with tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills when their bogus plans refused to pay up. Typically, crooked plans aggressively market full health coverage, but deliver no coverage at all, stripped-down policies that deliver little, or medical discount cards (which require members to pay most expenses themselves). Blast faxes, invasive telemarketing, insurance agents and enticing websites are among the marketing tools. Regulators in most states have been forced to crack down over the last two years. But the plans are hard to shut down. Often they simply disappear and resurface under new names, without required state licenses.
You could be next. Here’s what you should know...
