Be cautious when buying on the exchange or using a certified person to assist you. Anytime government comes up with a plan it is ripe for fraud and corruption. Most of it is never caught and the victims are always the very people it was intended to help.

Many agencies are hiring numerous new agents to take advantage of signing up the millions of new health insurance seekers. Many of the newly licensed agents and navigators have no experience with health insurance and the pitfalls of buying it.

There are also numerous new insurance carriers falling under the ACO (Accountable Care Organization) tag which is just a new name for an HMO. These new carriers have no track record on patient care or paying claims. You should proceed with great caution when dealing with them.

• What is the insurance carrier’s history of paying claims?

• What hospitals and doctors are in their network?

• Can you use the insurance outside of their service area?

• What are the costs or penalties when you go out of network?

• How much experience does the person you are working with have in the health insurance area?

• Does the person you are working with understand the entire process?

• Can they give you a preliminary report on whether you may or may not qualify for a subsidy?

• Can they tell you if you may qualify for additional financial assistance?

Finally, consumers should know that most of the new ACO’s do not license agents to sell their plans. This means the consumer is on their own when dealing with the company and claims. Having an experienced agent as an advocate gives them a major advantage when dealing with claim issues.