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Short answer: health insurance ads multiply once Marketplace open enrollment begins on Nov. 1, and not every one leads to real coverage. The Federal Trade Commission warns that some ads and phone pitches promise broad coverage but deliver limited benefits, some sell medical discount cards that are not insurance, and some pose as the government or a well-known insurer. Its advice: “start at HealthCare.gov or call the Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596.”
What the FTC says about health insurance ads
| Item | FTC guidance |
|---|---|
| Open enrollment window | Nov. 1 to Jan. 15 for the Health Insurance Marketplace |
| Where to start | HealthCare.gov or the Marketplace Call Center, 1-800-318-2596 |
| Limited plans | Some ads promise broad coverage but offer limited benefits |
| Discount cards | Medical discount cards are not health insurance |
| Robocalls | Prerecorded robocalls marketing health insurance are illegal |
| Where to report | ReportFraud.ftc.gov |
Source: FTC consumer alert, Oct. 29, 2026. Date checked: Oct. 30, 2026.
Where these pitches show up
The FTC says scam ads, phone pitches and texts can all turn up this time of year, including in paid search results and on social media. A top search result is not necessarily the official site, so typing the address yourself beats clicking an ad that looks right.
Five checks before you click or call
Begin at the official source. Go to HealthCare.gov directly, or call the Marketplace Call Center, even if you plan to buy through a broker. Seeing the real Marketplace options first gives you something to compare against.
Then ask what the plan actually covers. A plan that promises broad coverage should be able to say, in writing, what it pays for. A vague answer is a warning sign, since the FTC says some plans hide limited benefits behind big promises.
Ask the plain question, too: is this insurance? A medical discount card lowers prices at some providers, but it does not pay claims, and the FTC says it is not health insurance.
If the call is a prerecorded sales pitch, hang up. Prerecorded robocalls marketing health insurance are illegal, which tells you something about the caller.
Finally, hold back personal details from anyone who contacted you first. If a stranger asks for a Social Security number or payment information, end the conversation and reach out to the official source on your own.
If you already responded
Stop sending information and money, and keep any documents or call records. Report misleading ads or illegal robocalls at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If you shared a Social Security number, our guide to freezing your credit at all three bureaus is a sensible next step, and the notes on spotting a scam text cover the message side.
Related enrollment dates and scams
Deadlines for coverage start dates differ from the overall window, which is why we broke them out in ACA enrollment deadlines. Medicare has its own season and its own scam patterns, covered in Medicare scams this open enrollment.
Editor’s take
Do this first: close the ad and open HealthCare.gov yourself. The extra thirty seconds removes the look-alike risk entirely, and anything a seller offers can be compared against what the official site shows.
