Affordable Coverage for those with Pre-Existing Conditions

July 1, 2010—An important part of the new federal health reform law (The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010) takes effect today when Kentuckians who have been without health insurance for at least six months and who have been denied coverage because of pre-existing health conditions will be given access to affordable, quality coverage. Approximately 920,000₁ Kentuckians have a diagnosed pre-existing condition that could lead to a denial of coverage in the individual health insurance market.

The new health coverage will be available through a new Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) created by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The PCIP is a separate from the Kentucky Access program. Unlike existing high-risk pools, premiums in the new program will be similar to premiums charged to healthy people in Kentucky.

Applications Available on New Website To obtain more information about the new health coverage available to Kentuckians, visit the new federal website available starting today: http://www.healthcare.gov This site provides information about the complete range of health coverage options available for consumers by state and an application is available for download for the new PCIP coverage.

The new website is the first to provide consumers and small businesses with information about private insurance, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, Medicare, and other coverage options in one place. Federal officials are emphasizing that the PCIP is not the long-term solution to the insurance industry’s practice of denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions; instead, it will serve as a bridge to 2014, when the reform law bans denials of coverage based on pre-existing conditions.

1 http://www.familiesusa.org/assets/pdfs/health-reform/pre-existing-conditions/kentucky.pdf