Status Update: Extension of Illinois Transitional Plans

We are extending our Illinois individual and small group transitional plans through 2018 after the Illinois Department of Insurance released a bulletin on March 10 to provide guidance for the extension of transitional policies in Illinois.

This comes after recent federal guidance that permits states to extend transitional policies for individual and small group health insurance plans to policy years beginning on or before October 1, 2018, provided that all policies end of December 31, 2018.

We are also extending our Iowa small group transitional plans. Contact your client consultant with any questions.

Fraud Alert: HHS OIG Hotline Phone Number Used in Scam

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently confirmed that the HHS OIG Hotline phone number is being used as part of a telephone spoofing scam targeting individuals throughout the country.

HHS OIG will not use the HHS OIG Hotline phone number, 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477), to make outgoing calls, so individuals should not answer any calls from this number.

These scammers represent themselves as HHS OIG Hotline employees and make it seem as if the call is coming from the HHS OIG Hotline. They may use various tactics to obtain or verify the victim’s personal information, which can then be used to steal money or for other fraudulent activity. HHS OIG takes this matter seriously and is actively investigating this matter.

We encourage everyone to remain vigilant, protect their personal information, and guard against providing personal information during calls that claim to be from the HHS OIG Hotline.

It is still safe to call into the HHS OIG Hotline to report fraud. Those who believe they may have been a victim of this scam are encouraged to report that information through the HHS OIG Hotline at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477) or by emailing Spoof@oig.hhs.gov. Individuals can also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357).

Learn more about how people can protect themselves or report this scam at OIG.HHS.gov.