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NC insurance commissioner warns of Obamacare scams

Just like North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper told Action 9 at the beginning of the month, criminals are using the Affordable Care Act as an excuse to get consumers' information.

Action 9 investigator Jason Stoogenke sat down with Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin Tuesday, nearly three weeks after Cooper warned about it.

He said his office has received several reports of people targeting consumers by asking for private information.

"Even if it winds up not being fraudulent activity, it is always in your best interest, if you suspect something, let us know," said Goodwin.

Goodwin said it's too early to tell if any of the reports are confirmed fraud cases.

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Action 9 key takeaways from N.C. Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin

Action 9 sat down with North Carolina Insurance Commissioner Wayne Goodwin Wednesday morning at the Tyvola Senior Center. These are the takeaways and tips Goodwin provided to Action 9 during his interview and speech about insurance, fraud, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, and how the elderly can save money on prescription drug costs.

  • Read any and every letter from your insurance company and make sure there is no deadline. If you throw the letters away that are not bills it could be affecting your coverage/policy.
    • Also on fraud: Goodwin says they have the oldest, anti-fraud unit in the country at http://www.NCDOI.com
    • Do not give your SSN or bank account info to websites that could be fraud. He says be cautious of red flags.
    • Just because a website ends in .gov does not mean it is legitimate.
    • Goodwin discussed the figure of $55 million they have been able to recover for victims of insurance fraud
    • Low-income subsidy programs can save seniors money and help offset prescription drug costs
      • Goodwin emphasized helping move the state through this transition regarding the Affordable Care Act
      • Also emphasized helping recover $6 million that was money previously denied by insurance companies
      • Discussed how his program provides citizens with "peace of mind"
    • Goodwin emphasized helping move the state through this transition regarding the Affordable Care Act
    • Also emphasized helping recover $6 million that was money previously denied by insurance companies
    • Discussed how his program provides citizens with "peace of mind"

To read Action 9's live-tweets on Goodwin's speech and interview, follow @Action9 on Twitter.

To follow Wayne Goodwin on Twitter follow @WayneGoodwinNC.

To follow the N.C. Insurance Department follow @NCInsuranceDept.