‘Secret Shoppers’ Find People Losing Medicaid May Encounter Raft of Misleading Marketing

Although health insurers have been vocal about their desire to transition people into Affordable Care Act marketplace plans if they lose Medicaid during the resumed redetermination process, a new “secret shopper” survey suggests those customers will encounter a thicket of aggressive marketing for limited-benefit plans that could ultimately leave them on the hook for massive medical bills.

Researchers at Georgetown University Center on Health Insurance Reforms (CHIR) conducted their survey between June 9 and June 30, 2023, creating two profiles for hypothetical Texas residents who were informed they’d be losing Medicaid due to income ineligibility. “Terri” is 22 years old with no pre-existing conditions, and “Lorraine” is 36 with high cholesterol. Both live in a two-person household and have an annual income of $25,000 — qualifying them for the maximum premium and cost-sharing subsidies the ACA marketplace can offer. That means they can access, theoretically, silver plans with a $0 monthly premium that cover an average of 94% of the cost of covered benefits.

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