Thursday, January 1, 2009

Detecting Fraud On The Web When Getting Texas Health Insurance

By Jordan FeRoss

You would think you would not have to be concerned about things such as insurance fraud. Unfortunately, you do. In the age that we live in, there is always someone that is out to make a quick buck. Of course, that includes trying to get over on people when it comes to getting health insurance in Texas. The sad part about it is, with the internet, it is so easy to get duped. The internet is one of the biggest tools that scammers and fraudsters use to get what they want illegally.

Because setting up an online insurance shop is so easy for just about anyone, it can be difficult to know who to trust when providing sensitive information to someone supposedly selling you insurance. You must always be vigilant when using the Internet to shop for health insurance in Texas. And keep in mind that if it sounds to good to be true it probably is, especially with regard to health insurance.

So how can you recognize a fraud when it comes to buying health insurance in Texas over the internet? There are several health insurance related scams being peddled on the internet these days. One of these is the age old "pyramid" scheme. This deal claims to be health insurance, but then advertises that you can make money by getting more people to sign up under you. While the basic idea may sound like a bona fide network marketing business, beware the telltale signs of the "pyramid scheme". In a scam like this, if you read the fine print you will realize that you aren't actually getting anything for your money, other than a "membership" and a chance to make money. It isn't real health insurance. They may tell you that you will qualify for "discounts" on medical services, but you will be hard pressed to ever recoup any of your investment with these so-called discounts.

To recoup your investment, you would need to participate in the unethical (and illegal) practice of selling worthless insurance plans to other unsuspecting individuals. Because health insurance in Texas is big business and so expensive it will unfortunately not be difficult to find people looking for a good deal and ripe for the picking for this particular scam.

Another scam can be harder to detect because it appears more legitimate than the pyramid scheme is the plan that offers you health insurance in Texas at a great rate but denies all claims or does not really provide insurance. You are paying for a service this "company" cannot provide and do not really have any recourse. Beware of any company offering ridiculously low rates as they are often scams.

Some of these internet health insurance scams in Texas even target the health insurance agents and companies themselves. It can be difficult to know who to trust anymore when it comes to buying health insurance in Texas, especially online, but with a little careful investigation you should be able to tell the real deal from the scams out there.

Another one of the major frauds regarding health insurance in Texas is when unlicensed agents attempt to sell you health insurance. The laws in Texas require both the insurance company and the agent to be licensed in order to sell you health insurance. This protects the consumer and makes sure that an agent knows what they are doing before they sell a product like health insurance in Texas that has a huge impact on a person's life and well-being. If you find suspicious activity that may be fraudulent, you should report it to the better business bureau and any other local or state agency that deals with fraud. - 16459

About the Author: