14 DAY TRIAL // Authorities in California have shut down a total of ten websites that imitated Covered California, the state’s insurance marketplace for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare.
According to California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris, authorities started investigating fake Covered California websites in September. The operators of such sites were sent cease and desist letters and asked to either shut them down or to hand over the domain names to the state.
Some of the websites in question, operated by firms of private health insurance brokers that have nothing to do with Coverer California, had domain names similar to the official website. They even used mottos and logos similar to the genuine site.
The list of sites includes: - californiabenefitexchange.com - californiahealthbenefitexchange.com - coveredcalifornia.com - shopinsuranceexchange.us - shopinsuranceservices.com - healthexchangeinsurance.com - shopforhealthcare.org - taxcreditinsurance.com - stateexchanges.org.
All of them have either been shut down or redirected to coveredca.com.
“These websites fraudulently imitated Covered California in order to lure consumers away from plans that provide the benefits of the Affordable Care Act. My office will continue to investigate and shut down these kinds of sites. I urge Californians to avoid healthcare scams by visiting coveredca.com,” the attorney general noted.
Californians are advised to act with caution in case they receive cold calls from people claiming to represent the government, asking them to hand over personal, medical and financial information.
Those who offer assistance from Covered California must be a certified enrollment counselor. Consumers can verify them by their ID badge or by contacting the organization.
Finally, remember that coveredca.com is the only official health insurance marketplace. In case you’re a victim of a scam, file a complaint with the California Attorney General’s office