Julie Appleby - KFF Health News

Consumers who were enrolled fraudulently could receive unexpected tax bills — the first and possibly only clue they were a victim of fraud. Getting help may become difficult amid federal layoffs.

After leaving his job to launch his own business, an Illinois man opted for a six-month health insurance plan. When he needed a colonoscopy, he thought it would cover most of the bill. Then he learned his plan’s limited benefits would cost him plenty.

The ACA requires most insurance plans to cover preventive care, including many forms of contraception, without cost to patients — but not if they’re “grandfathered” plans, which predate the law.

President Donald Trump issued a flurry of executive orders and other actions on health care soon after reentering office. Other than signaling he intends to reverse many of Joe Biden’s moves, the orders will have little immediate impact.

The federal government put guardrails in place to limit unauthorized plan sign-ups and switches. But the changes could prove to be a burden to consumers.

Federal regulators provided more specifics about why they suspended two private sector sites, including concerns about potential overseas accessing of consumer data and suspicions of involvement in enrollment and switching schemes.

CMS says it has received more than 200,000 complaints in the first six months of the year about people being signed up for Obamacare plans or switched to new plans without their consent.

With tens of thousands of Americans already affected by enrollment scams that leave some without doctors or treatments, Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden wants increased enforcement against rogue agents.

The lawsuit filed in federal court in South Florida alleges that large call centers were used to enroll people into Affordable Care Act plans or to switch their coverage, all without their permission.

The first six digits of Social Security numbers are now masked on the ACA federal site and direct enrollment partner platforms. The change comes after a report of enrollee plans being switched without consent.