Complaint Review: Real Benefits Association - New York New York

It has been 90 days now and I still haven't received a response from "Katherine", the company shill for this entity.  Draw your own conclusions.

Ted L. Bader

RBA is partially operated by Arnold H. KATZ of San Diego.  He has been involved in other similar scams in the past and has received cease and desist orders forbidding him from doing business in certain states, Washington included. (Go to www.insurance.wa.gov and open the "consumers" or "agents" drop down tab, then enter his name or "D07-0351") A San Diego TV station did an excellent feature on him and his group a few years ago. Or just Google him or "Adova Health" or "Consumer Alliance of America." The entity has been known by many names before and changes names readily as soon as the current name gets too well known by authorities or victims.  They contract with 18-19 "Boiler room" call centers to solicit their products.  You believe that you are sold health insurance, but they are not authorized to sell health insurance, so what you get is called a discount card.  IF you actually receive the card, which many do not, you are given a list of "preferred providers" who purportedly accept the card, some of them located many miles from where you live.  In most cases, these providers have never heard of the "insurance company" and you are stuck with paying full price. I read the June 2009 response from Katherine and either she does not know what she is involved in or she is lying to you.  She is obviously an employee of a call center that contracts with this entity, so the possibility exists that she is merely naive and believes that she is really selling health insurance.  Katherine, if I am incorrect, please provide the state-issued insurance producer number of your license to transact insurance. I will be happy to issue you a public apology after I confirm your authority to sell insurance.  Keep in mind that you can only solicit in those states in which you personally are licensed.  And you might ask RBA and other scammers to give you their certificate of authority to sell in the states you are calling. I will be happy to confirm those certificates for you. Information for potential purchasers/ victims of these scams :  If you are a resident of the state of Washington and have been scammed since July 26th, 2009, please contact me at the address below. If you are a resident of Washington and are considering making a purchase from an internet or mass solicitation site, call our consumer hotline and verify that the insurer is authorized to transact insurance in Washington.  The hotline is (800) 562-6900. If you live in another state, call your state insurance commissioners office and verify before you buy. For the contact information. go to WWW.NAIC.org and select your state from the map shown. GENERAL ADVICE:   You most likely would not select a brain surgeon from a fax blast or telephone cold call or postcard ad you received from a mass solicitor, so what would possess you to select the insurer that you expect to pay for the brain surgery from such a source? Please folks, think about it.  I see hundreds of reports annually from victims of these ripoffs, as do my counterparts nationwide.  Be suspicious when the solicitor tells you that the special offer ends shortly and you must make the decision now, or refuses to send you something to study before making such a choice.  Start asking them for their registration number with the insurance department of the state you live in and get a name and number to call them back directly as soon as you make that check.  If they state that they don't need a license or just give you a general number and tell you to talk to anybody that answers, the chances are that you are dealing with a boiler room.  Most likely, if you start asking important questions, they will just hang up on you and move on to an easier victim. This applies to any insurance transaction, but we see this abuse most often in the field of health coverage and auto warranty solicitations. Remember, the scammers are out there in tough economic times, competing with the legitimate insurers for your hard-earned dollars. Ted L. Bader, Chief Investigator, Office of Insurance Commissioner POB 40255, Olympia, WA 98504-0255  [email protected]    (360) 725-7000