Texas Company Sued For Selling Fraudulent Health Cards to Pregnant Women
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Pregnancy is one of the worst times to be uninsured. Medical care is vital for pregnant women and too many women and babies in this country are missing out on proper health care because they can’t afford health insurance, or the insurance they have doesn’t cover maternity costs.
According to the Texas Attorney General, a company has been preying on uninsured pregnant women. Affordable HealthCare Options, AHCO, based in Austin, Texas, sold discount insurance cards called the MaternityCard that promised to cover up to 60% of pregnancy-related medical costs. The plan cost $199 to enroll, with a $99 monthly fee.
But when members tried to use the MaternityCard at the doctors who were supposedly preferred providers for the plan, the doctor’s offices told the Moms that they had never heard of AHCO or the MaternityCard.
To add insult to injury, when Moms tried to cancel the plan, AHCO told them there would be a $250 cancellation fee.
Over 140 moms complained to Texas’ Better Business Bureau, which lead the Texas Attorney General to file a lawsuit against AHCO on Monday 21 April.
AHCO’s website is still offering the MaternityCard, despite the lawsuit.
If the allegations are true, this company is simply despicable. Preying on vulnerable pregnant women puts not just the moms at risk, but their babies too.
Moms who bought the MaternityCard and want to make a complaint can contact the Texas Office of the Attorney General via the web, or by telephone: 800-252-8011.
If you are pregnant and uninsured, or underinsured, what are your options? Depending on your income, you may qualify for Medicaid, or a program administered by your state’s Health Department. Many hospitals have programs for uninsured patients offering sliding scale rates or payment plans: contact the hospital directly for more information.
kristy says...
how would some one get medacaid or were would we go. and how would i get the meedicaid if i qulify for it?
Jason says...
I had a friend that worked there a year or so ago, and I hear that they are racist. He told me that he was told to follow the rules but the other’s wern’t, he said it was probably because he wasn’t in their little circle, but that would also be because he is african american.
These typs of companies always flurish, because they by their way out.
That and they hire people who have no values. My buddy left, but I heard they hired another token, and he was let go as well.
I have heard that comments are made about the caliber of pregnant mother’s that call in for assistance. Totally disrespectful and unprofessional.
I have urged my buddy to file a complain with the Texas civil rights commission and the TWC, he sys he is trying to track down the other gentleman that was just let go from there. If you’re out there, we need to hear from you.