“Under the Affordable Health Care Act having a pre-existing condition no longer means you can’t get health coverage.
For years, it has been all too common to hear stories of people living with conditions like cancer, diabetes or heart disease who are unable to find health insurance because of their pre-existing condition. This is changing--thanks to the continued implementation of the Affordable Care Act.
The new Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plans (PCIP) offers a range of health benefits to uninsured individuals with pre-existing conditions. These plans mean that people who were previously shut out of the insurance market can get coverage.
Over the next few months, we’ll be talking about some of the people enrolling in Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plans--people like Johanna in Denver, who lost her insurance coverage after she lost her job and her COBRA coverage ran out. After she was diagnosed with depression, she found it impossible to obtain health insurance because depression is considered a pre-existing condition. After the Affordable Care Act passed, Johanna was able to find coverage through her state’s Pre-Existing Conditions Insurance Plan.
And now, this program is getting better. We are announcing new plan choices for people enrolling in the federal Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan for 2011. In 2010, there was only one type of plan, but in 2011, there will be three plan options: the Standard Plan, the Extended Plan, and the Health Savings Account eligible plan. In addition, families will be able to enroll their eligible children in the program at child-only rates. These options will allow enrollees to select a plan that best meets their needs.
The federally administered program is available in 23 States and the District of Columbia. To find out if your State’s PCIP is federally administered please visit our interactive map at www.healthcare.gov.
The program is designed as a bridge to 2014 for people with pre-existing conditions who cannot obtain health insurance coverage in today’s private insurance market. In 2014, all Americans – regardless of their health status – will have access to affordable coverage either through their employer or through a new competitive marketplace, and insurers will be prohibited from denying coverage to anyone based on the state of their health.”
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