"Comprehensive coverage for self-employed owners. Full PPO network. Only $129 a month, no deductible. Enroll today and get a $100 gift card."
Here's a hypothetical, and everyone in it is made up. Dani runs Saltmarsh Mobile Detailing (a made-up business) out of one van. No employees, no group plan, and an MCA debit of $186 every weekday. Her old plan ends December 31, so on Sunday night she types "health insurance self employed" into Google.
The top result has a blue logo, a stars-and-stripes banner and the words "Official Marketplace Plans." She fills in her name, ZIP and phone number. Four minutes later her phone rings.
The agent is friendly and fast. He says the plan is "comprehensive," the network is a "full PPO," and the price is locked at $129 if she enrolls on this call. He needs a card number for the first month. "The gift card ships with your welcome kit."
Dani reads him the company card. That price is less than half of what she paid last year.
Here's the turn. The welcome kit shows up 9 days later with a plastic card and a booklet. Page 2 says the plan is not insurance. It's a discount card. It doesn't pay her bills. It gets her a discount at doctors who take it, and she pays the rest herself.
Texas regulators describe this exact setup: discount plans "might use the term PPO" to describe their network, "but they aren't traditional health plans," and members pay the full discounted cost of care (Texas Department of Insurance). The same page says these alternative plans don't let you get federal subsidies to lower your premiums. So the "deal" may have cost Dani the real savings she could have qualified for.
This one is live right now. Open Enrollment on HealthCare.gov started November 1 and runs to January 15. To have coverage start January 1, you have to enroll by December 15 (HealthCare.gov).
On October 29, 2026, FTC staff sent warning letters to 25 companies that market health plans or sell sales leads for them, including ACA Marketplace coverage, limited indemnity plans and medical discount programs. The letters don't allege wrongdoing by the companies that got them, and the FTC didn't name them.
But the letters list the claims the FTC says may break the law: calling a plan comprehensive or major medical when it isn't, misstating what a plan covers or costs, and promising free offers, cash rewards or rebates that people don't get (FTC, via Fierce Healthcare).
If you're self-employed with no employees, the Marketplace is where you shop for your own coverage, and you find out there if you qualify for savings based on your income (HealthCare.gov).
Red flags
A paid search ad or a site with official-looking logos whose web address doesn't end in .gov. HealthCare.gov tells you to check for official seals and .gov addresses (HealthCare.gov).
The words "comprehensive" or "full PPO" on a plan that turns out to be a discount card or a fixed payment per day. Discount plans may use "PPO" but aren't traditional health plans (Texas Department of Insurance).
A gift card, cash back or another bonus for signing up. The FTC flags false promises of free offers and rewards, and HealthCare.gov warns about health insurance ads offering cash, gifts or other perks.
A price that's only good "on this call," plus a request for your card number before you've seen the plan documents.
Disclosure lines like "not a substitute for major medical coverage" or "provides limited benefits." Texas regulators list these as signs the plan is not traditional health insurance.
A phone call after you fill out a form, from someone who says they're with the Marketplace. Real Marketplace calls come from 1-855-997-1890 or 844-477-7500, and they'll never ask you to pay to apply or keep coverage (HealthCare.gov).
What to do
Type HealthCare.gov into your browser yourself, or call the Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596. Skip the links and phone numbers in ads.
Before you pay anything, ask for the plan documents in writing and read the first two pages. Look for "not insurance," "limited benefits" or "discount." If you see any of them, it's not major medical coverage.
Don't give card or bank numbers to someone who called you. With Marketplace plans you pay your premium directly to the insurance company you picked, not to anyone else (HealthCare.gov).
If you already paid, call your card issuer and ask about disputing the charge, then cancel the plan in writing and keep a copy. Report it at ReportFraud.FTC.gov and to your state insurance department. You can still enroll in a real Marketplace plan until January 15.
More scams hitting owners right now are in the Scam Report.
Dani called the number on the back of the plastic card to cancel. A recording thanked her for being a valued member and put her on hold. Hold music, then: "Your estimated wait time is 47 minutes."
