Arkansas Regulators Warn Against Misleading Public on ACA Portals

Apparently some insurance providers, producers and others are attempting to place business through portals unlicensed to sell Affordable Care Act qualified health plans by leading consumers to believe the plans are qualified, and Arkansas Insurance Commissioner Jay Bradford wants them to stop.

The Arkansas Insurance Department issued a bulletin (8-2014) responding to “certain electronic media and other marketing material” using business names, electronic addresses and other identifiers such as the words “exchange” or “marketplace” that suggest the producer or entity is authorized to sell ACA qualified health plans when they are not.

Insurers, producers and others who falsely lead consumers into believing they are offering federal Health Insurance Marketplace, Arkansas Marketplace or Arkansas Private qualified plans may be violating the state’s trade practices statutes, according to the department.

The bulletin said if a complaint is received “regarding this Trade Practice issue, insurers may be held responsible for the actions of their appointed agents.”