State officials urge careful consideration of insurance plans during a special enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
The Delaware Insurance Commissioner’s Office says residents seeking coverage should take time to weigh their options to avoid signing up for a plan that does not adequately meet their needs.
Insurance Commissioner Trinidad Navarro says there are some things people can ask themselves to better recognize problematic plans.
“The first one is - is the policy underwritten by a reputable insurer? If people are seeking plans that they believe to be cheaper and it might be an off-exchange plan, questions you can ask them is, does the policy cover pre-existing medical conditions; does the plan cover things like maternity care and things of that nature,” Navarro said.
Navarro notes in Delaware, the only ACA marketplace plans listed at HealthCare.gov orChooseHealthDE.com are from Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware.
He says residents may be swayed by cheaper plans elsewhere, but warns choosing one could leave people at risk of significant medical bills, including lack of coverage for critical needs.
“We have seen an uptick in fraudulent plans that are being marketed on the web," said Navarro. If you go on to HealthCare.gov; or if you just google that, you’ll get a whole host of options. And you’ll see things that will be everything from Trump Care to U.S.A. Care to Biden Care.”
The Special ACA Enrollment Period was authorized by President Biden and allows for Marketplace enrollment through May 15, 2021.
