WASHINGTON — Winter is a busy time for people who need a variety of health plans.
Medicare's annual recruitment period ended on December 7th. Affordable Care Act general enrollment ends December 15th For those who want new coverage by the beginning of the new year, the switching period for Medicare Advantage plans begins January 1st.
Medical bills are a major financial factor for many families, and scammers know that.
A viewer named Tim asked WUSA9 if he could trust an ad he saw promising thousands of dollars in government subsidies.
question
Is an ad promoting a health plan that offers a card with thousands of dollars in subsidies likely to be legitimate?
source of information
answer
Some health plans come with subsidies but no cash benefits.
what we found
Tim pointed to two advertisements he had seen recently that offered slightly different forms of cash benefits.
I promise one thing $1,400 monthly “health benefit card” For expenses such as rent and food.Another says all Americans can get the card. Up to $6,400 per month For basic expenses.
There is a health insurance subsidy equal to the one promised in the second ad, but it is not bonus cash and is not loaded onto the prepaid card.
Affordable Medical Care Act Offer subsidized insurance plans Targets people below a certain income level. According to KFF, a nonprofit organization focused on health policy, grants can be either: paid directly to the insurance companyor refunded to the consumer after the next year's tax payment.
Some Medicare Advantage plans also offer flexible payment cards. AARP said on the card: Help users pay more medical bills Covered by insurance contract. Some allow users to pay for things other than medical expenses. For example, Anthem says customers can pay using a flex card. Some grocery, utility, and fitness costs.
of Ministry of Health and Human Services, AARPand Good RX Companies warn that fraud is common this time of year as customers look for health plans that will save them money. They all say that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. They also advise never giving out personal information, such as your Social Security number, Medicare ID, or bank account number, to anyone trying to sell you a health insurance plan.
Another red flag about one of the sites Tim asked about is that it claims the $1,400 per month offer expires in two minutes. However, when I refresh the page, the timer starts from the beginning.Federal Trade Commission claims it's a scammer often tries to create a false sense of urgency To trick people into doing what the scammer wants.
If you believe you are the victim of a scam or scam, or an attempted scam or scam, we recommend the following: report it to the Federal Trade Commission.
