The Affordable Care Act has been in the news a lot lately—website failures, blunders, missed deadlines, just to name a few—but now a new trend is popping up with ObamaCare. Now there is an increased risk of identity theft to add to the list of issues with the new healthcare law. Navigators, the professionals who are supposed to help guide consumers into the right affordable healthcare plan, are proving to be the biggest identity theft threat of all. Identity Theft Threats Through ObamaCare ObamaCare identity theft is a real concern, especially when you consider the lack of protective measures put in place. According to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, there is no federal requirement for navigators to undergo criminal background checks. Although a handful of states do require background checks, she acknowledged that it is possible for convicted felons to be navigators and gather consumers’ sensitive personal information. When you also consider that navigators only have to complete 20 to 30 hours of training—even though they’re essentially doing the same job as certified health insurance agents—there are obviously many reasons to worry. But navigators aren’t the only risk here. The government databases used for ObamaCare store consumers’ personal, financial, and medical information—data that is shared with seven separate agencies including the IRS, Social Security Administration, and Department of Justice. These databases alone increase the likelihood of ObamaCare identity theft. With open enrollment through the health insurance exchanges running through March 2014, you will want to take the proper precautions to avoid becoming another victim of identity theft.

1. Are You At Risk For ObamaCareIdentity Theft Scams?
The Affordable Care Acthas
been in the news a lot
lately—website failures,
blunders, missed deadlines,
just to name a few—but
now a new trend is popping
up with ObamaCare. Now
there is an increased risk of
identity theft to add to the
list of issues with the new
healthcare law. Navigators, the professionals who are supposed to help guide
consumers into the right affordable healthcare plan, are proving to be the biggest
identity theft threat of all.
Identity Theft Threats ThroughObamaCare
ObamaCare identity theft is a real concern, especially when you consider the lack
of protective measures put in place. According to Health and Human Services
Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, there is no federal requirement for navigators to
undergo criminal background checks. Although a handful of states do require
background checks, she acknowledged that it is possible for convicted felons to be
navigators and gather consumers’ sensitive personal information. When you also
consider that navigators only have to complete 20 to 30 hours of training—even
though they’re essentially doing the same job as certified health insurance
agents—there are obviously many reasons to worry.
But navigators aren’t the only risk here. The government databases used
forObamaCare store consumers’ personal, financial, and medical information—
data that is shared with seven separate agencies including the IRS, Social Security
Administration, and Department of Justice. Thesedatabases alone increase the
likelihood of ObamaCare identity theft.With open enrollment through the health

2. insurance exchanges running through March 2014, you will want to take the
proper precautions to avoid becoming another victim of identity theft.
How to Protect Yourself from ObamaCare Identity Theft
As a consumer you have to be proactive to protect your identity. The elderly,
disabled, and small business owners are at higher risk than other consumers for
identity theft through ObamaCare, but you are at risk even if you don’t fall into
these groups. Perform your due diligence and look out for the following:
Never give out your personal information to anyone calling and
representing themselves as government officials for ObamaCare. The
government will never ask for your personal information—including your
bank account or credit card information—to obtain insurance. You won’t be
contacted via phone, email, text, or even at your door for anything related
to the new healthcare law, so anyone telling you otherwise is probably
participating in an ObamaCare identity theft scam. Legitimate navigators
will not make unsolicited contact with you or ask you to pay a fee for their
services.
Watch out for fake ObamaCare or Medicare identification card scams.
Identity thieves have been known to contact consumers claiming that they
must have an ObamaCare identification card, but there are no such cards
involved with the new healthcare law. Similarly, scammers are telling
consumers that they need to verify their personal information to continue
receiving their Medicare benefits. Again, not true.
Avoid fraudulent or “dummy” websites.Creating websites that appear to
be official is another favorite tactic of scammers. You can easily avoid this
type of ObamaCare identity theft by only going to www.healthcare.gov, the
official government healthcare site. From there you can trust links directing
you to the official websites operated by individual state governments.
Whatever you do, never provide your personal information—including Social
Security number, date of birth, and financial account numbers—to setup your
new healthcare plan. Remember that the government already has your personal

3. information, so no government representatives will ever ask you to provide it. If
you are uncomfortable using the healthcare.gov website to sign-up, you can also
call 1.800.318.2596 for personal assistance completing the application process.
For more tips to preventObamaCare identity theft scams—and every other form
of identity theft—visitThe Identity Advocateor call us at 310.831.4400. You can
also get identity theft protection today withID Theft Solutions, the only identity
theft prevention and recovery firm we endorse. Your identity is always at risk, but
with the right tools in your arsenal you can combat identity theft and keep your
personal information safe.