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Affordable Care Act health plan enrollment is open in New York. Watch out for scammers.

Catalina Gonella

Published Nov 13, 2024

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Catalina Gonella

Published Nov 13, 2024

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New Yorkers should be on high alert for scams as they shop for health insurance during the open enrollment period for Affordable Care Act marketplace plans, state Attorney General Letitia James said.

Those are sometimes known as “Obamacare” plans — but, according to James' office, that term is a telltale sign that something is up. The New York agencies that administer Medicaid, Child Health Plus and the Essential Plan will never ask people to sign up for “Obamacare,” the attorney general's office said.

Residents have until Dec. 15 to enroll through the state's official marketplace, known as New York State of Health, if they want coverage to start on Jan. 1. They can sign up as late as Jan. 31 to start coverage in February. According to James’ office, the open enrollment period is when insurance scams spike.

“New Yorkers must be able to secure health insurance free from predatory scammers trying to take advantage of them,” James said in a statement on Tuesday. “As New Yorkers take advantage of this year’s open enrollment period, I urge everyone to be cautious and contact my office if they think they are the target of a scam or fraud.”

Any New Yorker who suspects they are a victim of a scam can report it to the attorney general's office by submitting a complaint online or calling 800-771-7755.

James’ office said scammers have a number of tactics to swindle New Yorkers trying to secure health coverage, like using fear to pressure victims. Grifters will tell New Yorkers their Medicaid or health coverage is at risk of cancellation, or that they have already lost their insurance benefits and need to pay hundreds of dollars to continue or reinstate them, according to the attorney general's office.

Another method scammers use to get people’s personal information is offering them gift cards or money to “update” their health accounts so they don’t lose coverage, James' office said.

James provided tips for New Yorkers seeking coverage during open enrollment season:

No fees are required to renew health insurance in the Medicaid, Child Health Plus or the Essential Plan.
The state’s health-certified enrollment assisters (including navigators, agents, and brokers) and customer service representatives are available to help residents navigate the New York State of Health marketplace, with information available at the NY State of Health website or by calling 1-855-355-5777. The phone line is available on Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m..
Anyone enrolled in Medicaid through a county Medicaid office or New York City’s Human Resources Administration can contact the office where they enrolled to ask questions and get help with renewing insurance for free.
Government agencies will never threaten, demand payment or ask for credit information in a text message, email or phone call.

Many websites will try to imitate the official New York state health insurance marketplace, but the only official NY State of Health website is at nystateofhealth.ny.gov. Submitting contact information to fraudulent websites may lead to calls, texts or emails from scammers.

Tagged

scams

Health and Science

new york city

public safety

letitia james

Catalina Gonella

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