[tabi] Uninsured Americans with Pre-existing Conditions Continue to Gain Coverage through Affordable Care Act
- From: "Allison and Chip Orange" <acorange@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <tabi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2011 14:08:01 -0500
1. Uninsured Americans with Pre-existing Conditions Continue to Gain
Coverage through Affordable Care Act
New resources available to increase awareness of new program for the
uninsured
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today made new
resources available
to the media, consumer groups, states, health care providers, and others to
increase
awareness of the Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP), a health plan
for
uninsured Americans with pre-existing conditions created by the Affordable
Care Act.
Americans continue to enroll in the plan, which was created in 2010 to
provide comprehensive
health coverage - at the same price that otherwise healthy people pay - for
uninsured
Americans living with such conditions as cancer, diabetes, or heart disease
who have
been unable to obtain affordable health insurance coverage.
"This program has helped thousands of people that desperately need coverage
and we
are excited to see Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan enrollment is
ramping up,
in much of the way enrollment in the Children's Health Insurance Program
(CHIP) did
in the 1990's, as more people learn about the new insurance options
available," said
Steve Larsen, director of the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance
Oversight
(CCIIO), which operates the program. "We are working every day to get the
word out
about this program, to find people who have been abandoned by the health
insurance
industry to get them the coverage they have been denied for so long."
This temporary program covers a broad range of health benefits and is
designed as
a bridge 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 their health status.
The Department is actively working with states, consumer groups, chronic
disease
organizations, health care providers, social workers, other federal
agencies, and
the insurance industry to promote the plan, including holding meetings with
state
officials, consumer groups, and others. New resources that are available to
communities
to help inform eligible Americans of the plan include a new web badge that
links
to PCIP.gov , as well as a new newsletter and website drop-in language that
partners
can use in their outreach efforts.
Nationally, enrollment in the Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan is
ramping up
steadily and has increased by 50 percent in the past three months to more
than 12,000
Americans.
HHS' Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight is also working
with
the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) on a comprehensive outreach
campaign,
putting information about the plan in the approximately 3.2 million social
security
disability insurance application receipts distributed each year. SSA is also
promoting
the Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan in its advocate newsletter, its
website,
and on TVs in the waiting rooms of SSA's more than 600 field offices.
Recently, several large commercial insurance carriers volunteered to include
information
on the plan in all insurance denial letters. Carriers that report they are
including
such language in their turndown letters include, but are not limited to:
Wellpoint,
Humana, United Health Group, and several of the Blue Cross/Blue Shield
plans.
Resources available to consumer groups, media, states and others include:
* PCIP.gov - This website offers information about eligibility,
benefits
and more. Consumers can find online and print applications for the plan in
their
state. FAQs are also available to help both organizations and consumers
better understand
the program.
* Web Badge - A new website button was released today that groups
can post
on their website to link to PCIP.gov. To add the button to your website,
visit www.HealthCare.gov/stay_connected.html
and embed the code listed.
* Newsletter and Website Drop-in Language - Also released today,
this language
is ready for consumer groups, state or local governments or other
organizations to
simply drop into their newsletters or post on their websites to help educate
consumers
about their health insurance options. To find this language, visit
www.HealthCare.gov/center/brochures.
* Posters and Brochures - Organizations can download or print
English and
Spanish language brochures and posters about PCIP to share with consumers.
Find the
brochures and posters here, www.HealthCare.gov/center/brochures.
Visit PCIP.gov for more information on how the plan works in each state,
including
eligibility and how to apply. To find recent enrollment numbers, visit
www.HealthCare.gov/news/factsheets/pre-existing_condition_insurance_enrollme
nt.html.
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