Misleading health insurance ads copy government and insurers, FTC warns

With Marketplace open enrollment starting November 1, the FTC says a flood of ads, robocalls and texts is pushing health plans that may not be what they claim.

In this brief: 3 sections 2 min read

- Paid search ads, social posts, robocalls and texts push 'health plans' during open enrollment
- Some plans claim broad coverage but pay for very little
- Some are medical discount cards sold as insurance
- Some pose as the government or a familiar insurer
- A prerecorded call selling health insurance: those robocalls are illegal
- An ad or caller that seems to be the government or a big insurer but isn't the official site
- 'Comprehensive' coverage at a price that seems too low
- A 'plan' that turns out to be a discount card
- Start at HealthCare.gov (or your state's official Marketplace), not an ad or call
- Read what a plan actually covers before you pay
- Hang up on health insurance robocalls
- Report misleading ads and illegal robocalls at ReportFraud.ftc.gov

Read full analysis on consumer.ftc.gov

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