What Is a Health Insurance Robocall? 

Americans are bombarded with robocalls on a daily basis. Many of these calls are an attempt to peddle insurance — health insurance, auto insurance, life insurance, and homeowner’s insurance.

Health Insurance Robocall Overview

A robocall is a phone call placed with an autodialer system, which when connected switches to a pre-recorded message or connects to a live person. Robocalls are most often associated with telemarketing, political ads, and spam, though they can also be used for public service announcements or emergency messages.

Health insurance robocalls target consumers in an attempt to trick them into enrolling in a health insurance scam.

These health care scam calls use a number of different tactics designed to get consumers’ bank account information or credit card number. For instance, they might offer help navigating the health insurance marketplace in exchange for a fee. They might claim that to maintain your Medicare coverage, or to get a new Medicare card, you must provide your Social Security number and bank information. A medical discount plan offering reduced-cost products or health services is another common health insurance robocall scam, as is the caller pretending to be a government employee. The government will not call you about health insurance. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says that Medicare or the IRS might send a letter, but will not ask for money to be wired to them or for a credit card number to be provided over the phone.

Why Have You Received a Health Insurance Robocall?

While consumers have reported fewer robocalls since the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S., PBS Newshour reports a growing number of health care robocall scams, and experts expect it to ramp up.

Open enrollment for health insurance typically sees a significant spike in health insurance robocalls. With so many Americans out of work due to COVID-19, there may be a marked increase in people seeking insurance in the Health Insurance Marketplace, resulting in more Americans who may be susceptible to these kinds of spam calls.

According to YouMail, which provides consumer mobile phone call-blocking apps, data for October 2019 (the last open enrollment period) showed a record 5.7 billion robocalls. The primary type of call? Health-related scams.

Which Health Insurance Companies are Responsible for Robocalls?

Legitimate health insurance companies should not be placing robocalls with consumers. In many cases, these health insurance robocalls are scam calls intended to get your financial information. Some of these may offer an actual plan, but they are laughably inadequate “skinny plans” that fail to comply with the Affordable Care Act requirements, provide coverage for only a few months, and don’t cover preexisting conditions or prescription drugs. These plans have recently been outlawed in California.

In many cases, the same scammer will cycle through a series of names when initiating scam calls. According to The Washington Post, YouMail discovered that approximately 288 million health insurance robocalls placed in October 2019 — using names like Whitestone Health or Executive Health — may have been from a single originator, and evidence increasingly suggests the calls violate federal law.

The only safe way to shop for health care plans is through healthcare.gov or the health care marketplace in your state.

Can These Calls Be Stopped?

Robocalls, including health insurance robocalls, are regulated by the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), enacted in 1991 to protect consumers from unwanted solicitation using technology. It has been expanded in the nearly three decades since to encompass the new technologies used by telemarketers. Now, TCPA regulations cover robocalls, unsolicited text messages, and more.

One facet of the TCPA is the National Do Not Call Registry, created to stop unwanted sales calls. The registry is intended to let legitimate companies know which consumers they should not contact. If, after registering with the Do Not Call list, you’re still receiving unwanted calls, this likely indicates the calls are from scammers, not legitimate businesses.

Bipartisan legislation to target the worst scam callers is reportedly in the works, according to the Post.

You may be able to block calls through a call-blocking app or a specific call-blocking service offered through your phone carrier. Even home phones that use the internet may be able to use a call blocking service to weed out scam calls. If you are still receiving scam calls, you can file a robocall report.

Where Can You File a Robocall Report?

Health insurance robocall reports can be filed on the FTC’s website. Filing a robocall report will help the agency to more effectively combat the rising tide of robocalls. Unfortunately, simply filing a complaint will likely not be enough to stop scam calls entirely, however, it will help the FTC to better form its responses to robocalls through technology and litigation. The agency receives millions of complaints each month.

How Can a Robocall Lawyer Help?

If you been pestered with a health insurance robocall, you may be able to file a lawsuit and pursue compensation. Reporting TCPA violations can also help hold companies accountable for their actions.

Filing a lawsuit can be a daunting prospect, so Top Class Actions has laid the groundwork by connecting you with an experienced robocall lawyer. Consulting a robocall lawyer can help you determine if you have a claim, navigate the complexities of litigation, and maximize your potential compensation.

Keep records of unwanted messages or health insurance robocalls that you believe violate the TCPA as evidence to ensure that your lawsuit is as effective as possible.

Join a Free Insurance Company TCPA Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you received a phone call from an insurance company that used an artificial voice or pre-recorded message, you may qualify to join this insurance company TCPA class action lawsuit investigation.

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This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.