The FTC sued Innovative Partners, LP, American Collective, LP, and other related companies  and people, alleging that they misrepresented their products as comprehensive health insurance. On April 15, 2026, a federal court issued an order halting the Defendants’ deceptive practices and appointing a Receiver to assume control of the business entities. That court-appointed Receiver, Paul O. Lopez of the law firm Tripp Scott P.A., has contacted you because company records show that you were enrolled in an Innovative Partners or American Collective health plan at some point between 2023 and 2026. The purpose of the email is to provide you with information about the FTC’s case and the current status of any Innovative Partners or American Collective health plan you may have been enrolled in. You will be receiving periodic updates from this email address.

The FTC, or the Federal Trade Commission, is the nation’s consumer protection agency. You can find more information about the FTC on its official government website, https://www.ftc.gov/.

A Receiver is an independent person or firm appointed by a judge to take temporary control of a company and its assets during a lawsuit. Receivers are typically appointed when there is concern that the defendants might hide, waste, or transfer assets while the lawsuit is pending. The Receiver works under the court’s supervision to protect assets and carry out the court’s orders.

You can visit the FTC’s website, where you can read the FTC’s Complaint against Innovative Partners and American Collective as well as its press release about this case. 

No. Innovative Partners and American Collective provided limited benefit plans that consisted primarily of medical discounts and capped indemnity payouts for certain medical events. Under these plans, consumers were responsible for any expenses that exceeded the capped payout amounts listed in the plan summary documents.

According to available plan documents, Innovative Partners’ and American Collective’s plans consisted primarily of:

1. Discounts on the sticker price of certain medical services;

2. Fixed payouts for a subset of qualifying medical events (for example, one Innovative Partners plan promised a $125 reimbursement for one illness-related emergency room visit per year, one $150 reimbursement for one illness-related ambulance ride per year, and no other hospital-related benefits; and

3. An assortment of additional benefits such as access to a free prescription discount card or access to telehealth services.

Although Innovative Partners’ and American Collective’s plan documents promised these limited benefits, many consumers reported that they never received them.

As of April 15, 2026—the date the Receiver assumed control of the business—Innovative Partners and American Collective have ceased day-to-day operations and have stopped collecting the monthly “premiums.”  If you received an automated email from Innovative Partners or American Collective in April or May 2026 saying that your payment was declined, that is why. The Receiver will not be continuing to administer the Innovative Partners or American Collective plans, and consumers should see no further charges from these companies on their credit or debit card statements.

The Receiver has learned that the companies have a serious backlog of claims that have not been processed or paid. The Receiver has determined that he likely cannot process, resolve, or pay these claims without spending all of the money in the companies’ accounts. Because this would leave nothing for potential redress payments to all consumers who purchased Innovative Partners and American Collective products, the Receiver asked the court for permission to not process the backlog of claims, which the court gave. This means that due to the large claims backlog and the financial condition of the companies at the time the Receivership was established, the vast majority of outstanding claims will remain unprocessed and unpaid.

It depends.

• If you were enrolled in an Innovative Partners or American Collective plan any time during calendar year 2026, you are likely eligible to enroll in comprehensive health coverage through a Special Enrollment Period that the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has made available through August 10, 2026. For instructions about how to enroll in the Special Enrollment Period, see the relevant Q&A below.   

• If you have experienced a Qualifying Life Event (such as losing other health insurance, getting married, having a baby, or moving), you generally have 60 days from the date of that event to enroll in health insurance. Because Innovative Partners and American Collective did not provide health insurance, the discontinuation of their plans technically does not constitute a Qualifying Life Event. However, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has opened up a 60-day Special Enrollment Period for people who were enrolled in Innovative Partners or American Collective plans any time during calendar year 2026. For instructions about how to enroll in the Special Enrollment Period, see the relevant Q&A below. 

• During the annual Open Enrollment Period, anyone can enroll in a comprehensive health insurance policy without a Qualifying Life Event. For most people who buy health insurance through the federal Health Insurance Marketplace (HealthCare.gov), the annual Open Enrollment Period for calendar year 2027 will run from November 1, 2026 through January 15, 2027. Employer-sponsored health insurance plans, Medicare, and some state-based insurance Marketplaces may have different Open Enrollment Periods, so check with the entity relevant to your situation for accurate information.

A Special Enrollment Period is a limited time outside the annual Open Enrollment Period when you can sign up for health insurance. Because many consumers who purchased Innovative Partners and American Collective plans were led to believe that they were enrolling in comprehensive health insurance, the federal government has authorized a one-time, 60-day Special Enrollment Period specifically for Innovative Partners and American Collective customers. If you were enrolled in an Innovative Partners or American Collective plan at any time during 2026, you may be eligible to enroll in Marketplace coverage, even if you canceled your plan prior to the FTC’s lawsuit. You may also be able to obtain an earlier start date for your Marketplace plan, which would give you retroactive coverage for health care you received in 2026. The Special Enrollment Period for 2026 customers of Innovative Partners and American Collective opened June 11, 2026 and runs through August 10, 2026. For instructions about how to enroll in the Special Enrollment Period, see the relevant Q&A below.

Anyone who was enrolled in an Innovative Partners or American Collective plan at any time during 2026 may be eligible to enroll in Marketplace coverage through the Special Enrollment Period, even if you canceled your plan prior to the FTC’s lawsuit. 

The answer depends on which state you live in. If you live in a state served by the federal Health Insurance Marketplace, follow the step-by-step instructions below.

If you live in a state that operates its own Marketplace (for example, Covered California, Get Covered Illinois, Massachusetts Health Connector, etc.), contact that State Marketplace directly to inquire about enrolling in the Special Enrollment Period.

To check whether your state is served by the federal Health Insurance Marketplace or a State Marketplace, visit https://www.healthcare.gov/get-coverage/ and select your state.

To obtain Marketplace coverage through the federal Health Insurance Marketplace, follow these steps:

1.     Visit HealthCare.gov and select “Apply for coverage.”

• Create an account and fill out an application. When creating your Marketplace account, use the email address you used when you first signed up for your Innovative Partners or American Collective plan.

  NOTE: You may get a message saying you aren’t eligible to enroll in a plan because the Open Enrollment Period for 2026 ended. Ignore this message. Because of your situation, you’re still able to enroll now.

2.     Enroll in a Marketplace plan for 2026 coverage.

• You have until August 10, 2026, to select a Marketplace plan.

• There are two ways to enroll:

  Option #1 - Contact the Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596. TTY users can call 1-855-889-4325.

  When you call, they’ll confirm that you qualify for this special opportunity, called a Special Enrollment Period, and help you find a Marketplace plan that meets your needs and budget.

  Be sure to tell them:

• You’re an Innovative Partners or American Collective customer. Mention the FTC case and court order against Innovative Partners and American Collective.

• The email address and phone number you used when you first signed up for your Innovative Partners or American Collective plan. This information has been shared with the Marketplace, so they know who you are and can confirm that you qualify for this Special Enrollment Period.

  Option #2 - Pick a plan online through HealthCare.gov. About 4 days after you submit your application, your Special Enrollment Period will become available.

• Log in to your Marketplace account at HealthCare.gov, then select your 2026 application.

• Select “Report a Life Change” to update your application and get new Eligibility Results. You’ll automatically qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.

• Select a plan.

Your Marketplace coverage will start on the first day of the month after you select a plan. You have to pay your first premium for coverage to start.

You may be eligible for an earlier start date for your Marketplace plan. This would allow you to receive insurance coverage for health care you received anytime in 2026, though you would need to pay the monthly premiums for any months of retroactive coverage that you obtain. Contact the Marketplace Call Center (1-800-318-2596) after you submit your application to request an earlier start date for your Marketplace coverage. 

For questions about the Marketplace, visit www.HealthCare.gov, or call the Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596.  TTY users can call 1-855-889-4325.

Make an appointment with someone in your area who can help you.  Information is available at https://www.healthcare.gov/find-local-help/.

For unbiased advice on your health insurance options, such as Medicaid and Marketplace options, visit www.medicaid/gov/about-us/where-can-people-get-help-medicaid-chip or Healthcare.gov.

The deadline for customers enrolled in Innovative Partners and American Collective plans any time in 2026 is August 10, 2026. If you do not enroll in Marketplace coverage by then, you may need to wait until the annual Open Enrollment Period to secure coverage, and you will not be able to obtain retroactive coverage for healthcare services you received in 2026.

If you were enrolled in an Innovative Partners or American Collective plan at any point in 2026, and if, during that time, you received healthcare services that you now owe bills for, you may be able to secure retroactive Marketplace coverage by enrolling in the Special Enrollment Period. Although you will need to pay the monthly premiums for any months of retroactive coverage that you obtain, it may be worth doing so if you are dealing with large medical bills for care you received earlier in 2026. For instructions about how to enroll in the Special Enrollment Period, refer to the relevant Q&As above.

If you have outstanding medical bills from 2023–2025 (or 2026 bills that you do not obtain retroactive coverage for through the Special Enrollment Period), you should consider contacting the hospital, doctor’s office, or other health care provider to ask whether they offer financial assistance, charity care, a discount for uninsured patients, or an interest-free payment plan.  

The FTC’s litigation against Innovative Partners and American Collective remains ongoing, and it is not yet clear how or when it will resolve. If the lawsuit is successful, the FTC plans to return the money recovered from the case to consumers who purchased Innovative Partners and American Collective plans.

If you have questions for the Receiver, please write to him at innovativereceiver@trippscott.com, and your correspondence will be responded to promptly.