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Confusion Leads to 'Obamacare' Scams

Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.
The Florida Channel
Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.

Scam artists are using the public’s confusion over the Affordable Care Act to obtain information and sell phony products through phone and mail, McClatchy News Service reports.

The Federal Trade Commission warns of one telemarketing scheme where imposters threaten people with jail unless they buy insurance. Consumers who are unsure about a call or piece of mail can contact that agency or the state attorney general.

Speaking of which, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi -- a longtime critic of the Affordable Care Act -- is unhappy with the regulations released last week that delay several parts of the law's implementation for a year, including income verification for tax credits through the online Marketplace.  As the Florida Times-Union reports, the administration says it will instead have to do spot checks.

Bondi warned that that will make it easier for people to lie about their income in order to get larger subsidies for insurance.

Originally founded in December 2006 as an independent grassroots publication dedicated to coverage of health issues in Florida, Health News Florida was acquired by WUSF Public Media in September 2012.