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| Time | Text |
|---|---|
| The deadline for Obamacare is upon us, and it's not just insurance companies that are | |
| hoping to line their pockets with higher premiums. | |
| Con artists are looking to cash in on the confusion surrounding the law. | |
| The health insurance marketplace was set up by the Affordable Care Act as a new way to find health care coverage by comparing rates and plans online. | |
| But 17 states opted to manage their own unique exchange with a different URL, and this could cause confusion for consumers. | |
| While shopping for coverage, you may run into one of the many fake exchanges that are already up and running on the internet. | |
| Scam artists got an early jump on national health care reform. | |
| Since last year, they've been calling, faxing, and emailing people across the country claiming to be with Medicare, Obamacare, or some agency of the federal government. | |
| Oftentimes, the caller will say they need to verify personal information, like a social security number or bank account. | |
| Sometimes, callers will convince victims that they need to buy an insurance card for eligibility. | |
| A sucker is born every minute, as they say, so don't be one of them. | |
| Here's how you can protect yourself. | |
| The health insurance marketplace doesn't open until October 1st. | |
| You can't buy coverage until then. | |
| Don't trust anyone promising a special price or a limited time offer, or to hurry because spots are limited. | |
| The rates in the exchange have been pre-approved and they won't change during the initial enrollment period of October 1st to March 31st, 2014. | |
| There is no card associated with health care reform. | |
| There is no new Medicare card and you do not have to update any personal information. | |
| Don't respond to a cold call of any kind, especially one that asks for personal information or money. | |
| Now, seniors can be the most susceptible to these fraudsters and their intimidating tactics, but even the most savvy among us can fall a victim to a con artist posing as a navigator. | |
| Under Obamacare, navigators are trained to guide through the process of finding coverage through the exchanges, and they will ask for personal information. | |
| There may be the opportunity for con artists posing as navigators to access this information, Or, actual navigators might ask you for more personal information than they need to recommend a plan. | |
| After all, we are dealing with a government-run program that's going to be sharing your information with the IRS. | |
| As part of this navigator program, some non-profit groups plan to make door-to-door outreach. | |
| Because of the time constraints placed on the program, the Department of Health and Human Services will not be doing background checks on navigator applicants. | |
| This is a shocking revelation that could attract many identity thieves to the position. | |
| The odds are already against you when you hand over your personal information to a solicitor that shows up at your doorstep, especially when they're from the government and they're here to help. | |
| So it's up to you to be a savvy shopper and protect your personal information. |
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