Doak attended the December meeting, where he urged federal regulators to look for patterns that might indicate unauthorized switching — such as policyholders’ coverage being changed multiple times in a short period — and then quickly initiate follow-up with the consumer.

“All regulators have a duty to get on top of this issue and protect the most vulnerable consumers from unknowingly having their policies moved or their information mistreated,” Doak told KFF Health News. He is now executive vice president of government affairs for Insurance Care Direct, a health insurance brokerage.

Being more proactive requires funding.

Wu said the agency’s administrative budget has remained nearly flat for 13 years even as enrollment has grown sharply in the ACA and the other health programs it oversees.

And the complaint process itself can be cumbersome because it can involve different state or federal agencies lacking coordination.

Even after complaints are filed, state or federal officials follow up directly with the consumer, who might have limited English proficiency, lack an email address, or simply not answer their phone — which can stall or stop a resolution, said Katie Roders Turner, executive director of the Family Healthcare Foundation, a Tampa Bay, Florida, nonprofit that helps people enroll or deal with problems that arise with their plans.

Suggested improvements include creating a central form or portal for complaints and beefing up safeguards on the healthcare.gov site to prevent such unauthorized activity in the first place.

Currently, licensed agents need only a name, date of birth, and state of residence to access policyholder information and make changes. That information is easy to obtain.

States that run their own marketplaces — there are 18 and the District of Columbia — often require more information, such as a one-time passcode sent to the consumer, who then gives it to their chosen agent.

In the meantime, the frustration is increasing.

Lauren Phillips, a sales agent in Georgia, said she reached out to an agent in Florida who was switching one of her clients, asking her to stop. When it happened again to the same client, she reported it to regulators.

“Their solution was for me to just watch the policy and fix it if it happens again, which is not a viable solution, “Phillips said.

Recently, after noticing the client’s policy had been switched again, she reported it and changed it back. When she checked two mornings later, the policy had been terminated.

“Now my client has no insurance at all,” Phillips said. “They say they are working on solutions. But here we are in the fourth month of the year and agents and consumers are still suffering at the hands of these terrible agents.”

©2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.