United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2004-02-27 monographic deposited born digital 54 p. GA 1.13:GAO-04-312 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-312 P0b002ee180397132 f:d04312 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-312 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-312 GAO-04-312 Consumer protection Federal/state relations Fraud Health insurance Insurance companies Insurance regulation Medical expense claims Colorado Florida Georgia Texas Other Written Product A09371 Health insurance premiums have increased at double-digit rates over the past few years. While searching for affordable options, some employers and individuals have purchased coverage from certain entities that are not authorized by state insurance departments to sell this coverage. Such unauthorized entities--also sometimes referred to as bogus entities or scams--may collect premiums and not pay some or all of the legitimate medical claims filed by policyholders. GAO was asked to identify the number of these entities that operated from 2000 through 2002, the number of employers and policyholders covered, the amount of unpaid claims, and the methods state and federal governments employed to identify such entities and to stop and prevent them from operating. GAO analyzed information on these entities obtained from the Department of Labor (DOL) and from a survey of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. GAO also interviewed officials at DOL headquarters, at three regional offices, and at state insurance departments responsible for investigating these entities in four states--Colorado, Florida, Georgia, and Texas. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-312/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-312.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-312/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-312.pdf GAO-04-312 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-04-312 Other Written Product GAO-04-312; Private Health Insurance: Employers and Individuals Are Vulnerable to Unauthorized or Bogus Entities Selling Coverage; Consumer protection Federal/state relations Fraud Health insurance Insurance companies Insurance regulation Medical expense claims Colorado Florida Georgia Texas Volume 59 Page 33 59 Stat. 33 Volume 88 Page 829 88 Stat. 829 Volume 96 Page 2605 96 Stat. 2605