ALL RIGHT. WELL, KATIE WEISENBURGER, THANKS
VERY MUCH. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> IN CONSUMER NEWS RELATED TO HEALTHCARE, PEOPLE WHO SIGNED UP
FOR MARKETPLACE AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE ACT PLANS SHOULD BE
AWARE OF UNSCRUPULOUS INSURANCE BROKERS WHO COULD DO A BAIT AND
SWITCH. SWITCHING PEOPLE'S EXISTING
PLANS WITHOUT THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND POCKETING EXCESS PREMIUMS
ACCORDING TO THE KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION.
IN WISCONSIN, MORE THAN 250,000 PEOPLE ARE ON ACA PLANS THROUGH
THE FEDERAL MARKETPLACE. CAROLINE GOMEZ-TOM IS AN ACA
ENROLLMENT NETWORK AND ACCESSIBILITY MANAGER FOR
COVERING WISCONSIN. SHE JOINS US NOW AND THANKS VERY
MUCH FOR BEING HERE. >> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME,
FREDERICA. IN WISCONSIN MIGHT BE VICTIMS OF
THESE WEB INSURANCE BROKERS? >> WE'RE STILL KIND OF
UNDERSTANDING AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE VOLUME OF VOLKS
TFOLKSTHAT ARE IMPACTED BY THIS. WE WERE BROUGHT AWARE OF THIS
BASED ON SOME OF OUR NAVIGATORS WHO HAVE SEEN INDIVIDUALS COME
TO US BECAUSE THEY WERE DULY ENROLLED IN MEDICAID OR THE
MARKETPLACE AND WE'RE HEARING IT FROM OTHER STATES WHERE THEY'RE
GETTING A LOT MORE MALICIOUS PREDATORS, ESSENTIALLY, WHO ARE
TRYING TO TARGET SPECIFIC COMMUNITIES, BUT WE'RE
DEFINITELY SEEING MORE COME UP WEEK AFTER WEEK.
>> WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES YOU'VE SEEN IN TERMS OF UNSUITABLE
POLICIES BECAUSE OF COVERAGE OF COST?
IS SOMEONE IS ACTUALLY STILL ELIGIBLE OR ENROLLED IN
MEDICAID, WHICH IS THE STATE'S PROGRAM FOR LOWER INCOME FOLKS,
AND EITHER THEY ARE UP FOR RENEWAL SOON OR THEY DO NEED TO
RENEW AND SOMEONE EITHER REACHES OUT TO THEM PROACTIVELY, SOMEHOW
GETTING THEIR CONTACT INFORMATION AND THERE'S A WAY OF
SOMEONE JUST PUT HEALTH INSURANCE IN A GOOGLE SEARCH AND
WENT TO A BAD WEBSITE. THEY COULD HAVE ACCIDENTALLY GOT
ON THIS LIST OF NUMBERS THAT PEOPLE WILL CALL.
OTHERWISE, IT'S ACTUALLY SOMEONE THAT MAYBE THEY REACHED OUT,
TOO, BUT THEY'RE OUT OF STATE AND THEY'RE NOW GETTING SIGNED
UP FOR A MARKETPLACE PLAN, USUALLY A ZERO-DOLLAR A MONTH
PLAN, BUT BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY SHOULD STILL BE ON MEDICAID, ARE
NOW DUALLY ENROLLED IN THESE PROGRAMS, AND IT'S NOT UNTIL
THEY'RE ACTUALLY TRYING TO SEEK HEALTHCARE OR TAX TIME WHEN NOW
THE I.R.S. IS SAYING THEY HAVE TO RECONCILE TAX CREDITS THAT
THEY NEVER KNEW THEY HAD, THEY'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
WHAT WENT WRONG. >> SO I UNDERSTAND THAT MANY OF
THESE BROKERS DOING THIS ARE OUT OF STATE.
>> WE HAVEN'T SEEN ANY BAD ACTORS THAT ARE FROM WISCONSIN,
SO I WANT TO LEAD WITH THAT. AND WE ACTUALLY DO A REALLY GOOD
JOB OF WORKING WITH OUR AGENT AND BROKER COMMUNITY HERE IN
WISCONSIN. PARTNER WITH THEM, AND WE
ACTUALLY HAVE QUITE A LENGTHY SCREENER BEFORE WE EVEN INCLUDE
THEM IN HOW WE ADVERTISE FOR ENROLLMENT ASSISTANCE.
>> SO WHAT CAN PEOPLE DO TO PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM THIS?
>> SO, OF COURSE, KNOWING THE WEBSITE THAT YOU'RE PUTTING IN
REGARDING SEEKING ENROLLMENT FOR HEALTH INSURANCE, MAKING SURE
THAT IT HAS A .GOV ENDING. IF YOU'RE ENROLLING IN THE
HEALTH INSURANCE MAIRKT PLACE, IT'S HEALTHCARE.GOV.
AND THEN YOU'RE SEEKING ASSISTANCE AND YOU'RE TALKING TO
SOMEONE ON THE PHONE OR SOMEONE REACHES OUT TO YOU, DON'T
HESITATE TO ASK QUESTIONS, BECAUSE IF THERE'S ANY RED
FLAGS, YOU SHOULD JUST STOP THE CONVERSATION AND SAY, I WILL
CALL SOMEONE IF I NEED ADDITIONAL HELP AND JUST END IT
THERE. BUT ASKING QUESTIONS LIKE WHAT'S
YOUR LICENSE NUMBER? WHO ARE YOU -- WHO DO YOU WORK
FOR? THE OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER
OF INSURANCE OR COVERING WISCONSIN OR THE HEALTH
INSURANCE MARKETPLACE? ANY PERSON WHO IS LEGITIMATELY
TRYING TO HELP YOU CAN EASILY ANSWER ANY OF THOSE QUESTIONS
AND USUALLY AUTOMATICALLY GOES THROUGH A CONSENT PROCESS.
WE ALWAYS JUST ENCOURAGE FOLKS EVEN TO CALL US DIRECTLY FROM
THE GET-GO, BECAUSE EVEN IF IT'S JUST A QUESTION TO MAKE SURE
THEY'RE AT THE RIGHT SPOT, LIKE WE'D RATHER THEM DO THAT THAN BE
UNSURE AND THEN FIND OUT THE HARD WAY.
>> YEAH. THANK YOU FOR THAT IMPORTANT
INFORMATION FOR WHAT PEOPLE SHOULD LOOK FOR.
CAROLINE GOMEZ-TOM, THANKS SO CAROLINE GOMEZ-TOM, THANKS SO