FTC to Host Roundtable on Consumer Protection and the New Healthcare Marketplaces

The Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, will host a roundtable in Washington, D.C., on September 19, 2013, to discuss how to empower and protect consumers from scammers with the advent of healthcare marketplaces opening this fall under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Scammers follow the headlines, often seeking to exploit interest in new high-profile programs and developments in the marketplace. This discussion will bring together experts on the ACA, federal and state consumer protection officials, representatives of legal services and community-based organizations, and consumer advocates to discuss key features of the law, state approaches to implementation, and how to help consumers avoid potential scams.   
            
“Consumer Protection and the Healthcare Marketplace” will take place from 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in the  FTC’s Satellite Building Conference Center, Room C, 601 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC. The event will be webcast. Space is limited. To register to attend, please send an email with your name and organization to Tracey Thomas at tthomas@ftc.gov. 

The Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices and to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish, visit the FTC’s online Complaint Assistant or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The FTC enters complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to more than 2,000 civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The FTC’s website provides free information on a variety of consumer topics. Like the FTC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to press releases for the latest FTC news and resources.