Changes to the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan in Your State

[babylonsister]

Changes to the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan in Your State


The Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) was created under the Affordable Care Act to ensure more Americans with pre-existing conditions have access to affordable health insurance and serves as a bridge to 2014 when insurers will no longer be allowed to deny coverage to people with any pre-existing condition, like cancer, diabetes, and asthma. In 23 states and the District of Columbia, the PCIP program is federally-administered. The remaining states operate their own PCIP programs using federal funds provided by the Affordable Care Act.

Reducing Premiums and Easing Eligibility

On May 31, 2011, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced new steps to reduce premiums and make it easier for Americans to enroll in federally-administrated PCIP programs:

* Premiums will drop as much as 40 percent in 17 states and the District of Columbia. These premium decreases help bring PCIP premiums closer to the rates in each state’s individual insurance market; in the six states where PCIP premiums were already well-aligned with state premiums, premiums will remain the same.

* Eligibility standards will be eased in all 23 states and the District of Columbia where PCIP is federally-administered to ensure more Americans with pre-existing conditions have access to affordable health insurance. Starting July 1, 2011, people applying for coverage can simply provide a letter from a doctor, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner dated within the past 12 months stating that they have or, at any time in the past, had a medical condition, disability, or illness. Applicants will no longer have to wait on an insurance company to send them a denial letter. Applicants will still need to meet other eligibility criteria, including that they are U.S. citizens or residing in the U.S. legally and that they have been without health coverage for six months.

more...

http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/pcip05312011a.html

[mwooldri]

1. A good start is all I can say. Still the coverage gap tho :( nt