Many states have regulations that prohibit health plans from using door-to-door and/or telephone solicitation to market health plan products to the Medicaid population.

Health plans are never allowed to medically underwrite individual market customers who are under age 65.

To promote a health plan product to the individual market, health plans typically use captive agents who give sales presentations to potential customers, rather than using promotion tools such as direct mail, telemarketing, or advertising.

Health plans typically are allowed to medically underwrite all individual market customers who are covered by Medicare and can refuse to cover such customers.