Thursday, January 1, 2009

Detecting Fraud On The Web When Getting Texas Health Insurance

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.

It's easy for them to put up a website and set up shop online. Anyone can say that they have a valid heath insurance company online. When looking for health insurance in Texas, this should be taken very seriously. There are too many people that get duped because they believe everything they see and hear.

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.

This will create more cash in the pot. In addition to that, others are asked to sell memberships to others and pitch the same script. With the so-called "health insurance", members are also told that they can take money against the value of their insurance policies. Unfortunately, there is nothing to show for it. Health insurance in Texas is a big business and there are people that will try to profit from it any way they can.

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.

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