Skip to main content

Are you looking to get or switch your health insurance? Know that some dishonest marketers might lie about what your plan would cover, make it seem like they’re selling health insurance when you’re really just getting a discount plan, or try to sell you something else entirely.

In today’s settlement with MediaAlpha, the FTC alleges that the company misled people interested in health insurance into sharing personal information MediaAlpha then sold to telemarketers. As a result, the FTC says people were bombarded with millions of robocalls, live telemarketing calls, and other sales tactics.

According to the FTC, MediaAlpha drew people in with false or misleading ads that faked a connection to the government and claimed they gave online quotes for supposed low-cost, comprehensive health insurance. In fact, the FTC alleges MediaAlpha knew its telemarketing partners rarely offered the kind of coverage MediaAlpha advertised and instead sold people very different products that covered much less than was promised.

If you’re looking for health insurance, make sure that’s what you’re buying:

  • Don’t decide on the spot. Get details in writing before you sign up. If the marketer won’t give you information in writing about the plan’s benefits and limitations before you give a credit card number or other payment information, that’s a major red flag.
  • Review the plan documents carefully and make sure it’s what you want. Is it health insurance, a medical discount plan, or something else? Call your health care providers directly to find out if it would cover your care, and how much it would cost you for things like going to the emergency room or being admitted to the hospital. Call before you enroll or pay any fees.
  • Search online for any company or plan name listed in the documents with the words “complaint,” “scam,” or “fraud.” Read reviews and see what others have to say.

Spot a misleading ad? Tell the FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Return to top