Dianne Barrette became the poster-child of Americans harmed by Obamacare when an interview with CBS revealed that her insurance had been cancelled, and that the new plan would cost ten times as much. Mrs. Barrette’s rates will go up under Obamacare, but she was actually one of many unfortunate victims of an Obamacare scam, this one generated by her actual insurance company. The company sent her a letter saying that her $54-a-month bare-bones insurance would not meet Obamacare’s standards, and recommended a replacement plan that would cost $591 per month. The letter also stressed that Obamacare mandated that she purchase the insurance by a certain deadline or face a penalty. What the letter failed to mention is that dozens of cheaper plans existed that would provide the comprehensive coverage mandated by Obamacare with the additional possibility of governmental subsidies. When liberal journalist Jonathan Cohn of the New Republic interviewed her, and they went over some of the options available, Dianne Barrette, poster-child of anti-Obamacare sentiment, said, “With my age, things can happen. I don’t want to have bills that could make me bankrupt. I don’t want to lose my house… Maybe, it’s a blessing in disguise.”
Dianne is just one of the many Americans that have been falling victim to the Obamacare-related scams that have been cropping up across the nation. The best way to ward off scam artists is to be a knowledgeable and informed consumer, so here are a few things to watch out for:
The Fake Insurance Spike
Insurance prices would be rising with or without Obamacare. But be wary of a price increase that is too high. Some unscrupulous insurance companies have been taking advantage of all of the fear and confusion regarding Obamacare to push overpriced policies on unwary customers. If you are not happy with your quoted insurance price, check the health care exchange. If it doesn’t work very well, give it a month and try again. Keep in mind that open enrollment will continue at least until March 31st, and there may be an extension, so don’t sweat it. Take your time to find the policy that is right for you. The Kaiser Family Foundation has also provided a useful subsidy calculator that can give you a quick estimate of what you should be paying for insurance based on your family size, income, and location.
The New Obamacare/Medicare Card
Katherine Hutt, a spokeswoman for the Better Business Bureau, said, “There is no card associated with the Affordable Care Act, so anyone who says you need one is a scammer.” No Medicare representative should be contacting you with regard to any change made by Obamacare. Be suspicious of anyone who contacts you directly.
A Call from a “Government Official”
Also, according to Mrs. Hutt, “The federal government almost never calls consumers, but sends official letters with information so you can contact them.” Government officials also won’t push you into providing information or try to scare you about a looming deadline. Please google whatever anybody who contacts you unsolicitedly says before ever giving them so much as your mailing address…
The Obamacare “Guide”
You don’t need a guide to navigate the new law. Just make sure you have insurance, and google anything anybody says who wants you to give them your social security number.
Fake Health Exchange Websites
If the website works smoothly, that should be an immediate RED FLAG. All jokes aside, websites have been cropping up left and right that in some way mimic a state health exchange. Best case scenario, it’s a collection of insurance companies trying to take a larger slice of the business. Worst case, someone wants to steal your information. Solution: GOOGLE (Or BING, if you, unlike me, believe their ridiculous advertisements about not being as ridiculously awful a search engine as everyone knows they are).
If you hear of other major Obamacare scams that people should be on the lookout for, please post in the comments section below.
Sometimes Profound 