Did you buy fake health insurance? We are in a time of upheaval and change in the health insurance market, and it is just not as easy as it used to be to sort out the real deal from the scams. Thousands of people have fallen victim to groups that are trying to trick them into buying something that is not a health insurance policy, but may sound as though it is one.
Add this to the list of nightmare scenarios that people are dealing with that have something to do with health insurance. I already fear that I, or my husband, will have some kind of serious health problem, and the medical bills will be so astronomically high that it forces us into bankruptcy, and foreclosure. I worry about what might happen in 2014, when we have to buy health insurance. What if we can’t afford it? Now, I can add the fear that the insurance company I consider buying insurance from is nothing more than a con artist.
Unfortunately, there have been a lot of people who have been scammed by what they are led to believe are insurance companies, only to find out that the insurance company does not actually exist. Some are discovering their mistake when they go to the pharmacy, and the pharmacist denies their insurance, saying he has never heard of that kind before.
Imagine being in a hospital bed, after being treated for something very serious, (and expensive), and feeling fairly comfortable in the knowledge that your health insurance company will cover at least some of the cost. Now, imagine what it would be like to be informed that you actually don’t have any health insurance after all, because the money you spent went to a fake insurance company. How terrifying!
Investigators are saying that these scam artists are targeting middle-aged Americans who have lost their jobs, and who lost their employer sponsored health insurance along with it. Having no income, and no insurance can make a person feel quite desperate about getting what they need as soon as possible. It is this feeling of desperation that the fake insurance companies are preying on. They are telling people whatever it is that they believe the person wants to hear, in an effort to quickly separate the person from her money.
How can you avoid getting tricked into paying for fake health insurance? Recognize the name of companies who are involved in these scams. The Federal Trade Commission has identified Health Care One of Arizona, United Benefits of Tennessee, and Consumer Health Benefits in Florida as some of the companies that have scammed people. Do not give money to someone who is pressuring you to “act now”. Real health insurance comes with a medical exam, and an underwriter checking things. Take the time to check if the company has a license by checking with your state insurance department.
Image by Widjaya Ivan on Flickr