Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan: 1,200 People Approved So Far

Just 1,200 people have been approved so far for a new program to provide insurance coverage to people with pre-existing conditions.

The program, known as the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan, launched in July as one of the immediate benefits of the new health care reform law, offering coverage to the uninsurable until 2014 when people should be able to choose from affordable policies available on an "exchange."

There are roughly four million people uninsured because of pre-existing conditions, and Democrats touted the new program as one of the best immediate provisions of health care reform. But the PCIP's administrators have said they expect it to reach only 350,000 over the next three years. The program is run by the federal government in 22 states and by the state government in the rest.

Kaiser Health News reported that 3,600 people have applied and about 1,200 have been approved for the PCIP. An obstacle is the program's steep premiums, which range from $140 to $900 depending on an applicant's age and location, and its requirement that people be uninsured for six months before applying (though the PCIP is still less expensive and more generous than existing high-risk pools operating in 35 states.)

"As of August 1, over 2,400 people applied for coverage in the 22 States in which the Federal government is running PCIP," said a Health Department spokeswoman in a statement to HuffPost. "About 750 applications had been approved that we were waiting for premium payments from. Over 140 people were enrolled and set to receive coverage."

Monica Buck of Oklahoma City told HuffPost she has applied for the program and is waiting to hear back. She said private insurers rejected her for being overweight. "I'm very hopeful that I get in," said Buck, 46, who said she understands her monthly premium in the PCIP would be $276. Coverage in Oklahoma will be capped at 1,500 people, according to NewsOK.

Mary Duffy of Redwood City, Calif. was disappointed to discover that her monthly premium would be $802, and that the state would not be ready for applicants until the end of the month. She is now hoping the California legislature will speed up the implementation of the exchange.

HuffPost has for the past year chronicled Duffy's quest for health insurance. The 61-year-old three-time cancer survivor campaigned for Obama because of his promise to reform the health insurance industry.

"I have to have a little chat with Obama about his concept of affordability," said Duffy. "I don't know what I'm gonna do. I've been three times around the dance floor with cancer."

HuffPost readers: Applying for the PCIP? Tell us about it -- email [e-mail].

Comments

[DallasMike]

04:44 PM on 09/01/2010

Well Nancy did say we had to pass it to see whats in it Now you know. How it feel?

[kms2003]

12:42 AM on 09/02/2010

i don't know about anyone else mike but i feel like a scorpion bit me. and in my head i keep hearing the who singing "we won't get fooled again." only the lyrics change to "don't get fooled again."

[sole]

05:51 AM on 08/30/2010

Why do we allow insurance companies to 'rape' the American People? We need national, non-profit health care for everyone. Yes, I believe it is a Right of every citizen. If you believe otherwise please tell me why you are against healthcare for all!

[kms2003]

12:46 AM on 09/02/2010

rather than non-profit health care what say you to single payer? a non-profit could still be run by a for-profit­. the only way to get savings is to put the clout and bargaining power of the government into the negioating for meds and services. according to a chat i had last year at the Atlantic Wire a rep from PNHP told me single payer would run about a flat 6% contributi­on from each taxpayer. Now that transaltes into an affordable amount i'd be willing to pay into the single payer system. 6% is much less than the 8% pelosi said we'd have to pay.

[Big Game Hunter]

01:51 AM on 08/30/2010

$802? That's just as bad as what they charged already!

[Eagleman]

11:43 PM on 08/29/2010

Obamacare ?

Ha Ha

[Imhotep40]

01:03 AM on 08/30/2010

Still beats Rethug care . . . . the compassion­ate conservati­sm mantra "your illness is not my concern" goes a long way with the hearts and minds . . .

Emergency Rooms used as walk-in clinics does impact me and my bottom line however . . .

[IWantAJob]

11:30 PM on 08/29/2010

To add insult to injury, some health insurance companies are sending our jobs to India and other countries and have applied for Trade Adjustment Assistance certficati­on with the Dept of Labor. In fact, because so many service sector jobs are being offshored at a rapid pace, last year Obama expanded the TAA program to include these service sector workers in addition to manufactur­ing workers. It allows up to $10K per person for retraining­, often in low paid fields such as caregiver, dog grooming, barber, nail technician­, etc.
The department of labor website shows companies applying for TAA funds and can be found here: http://www­.doleta.go­v/tradeact­/taa/taa_s­earch_form­.cfm - you can search by state, company, by time frame etc. It’s mind boggling – there’s thousands of companies.
Here’s a tiny sample of the familiar companies moving your job offshore.
WellPoint, Inc.
Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc.
CIGNA Healthcare­, Inc.
So does this mean an insurance rep in India will decide if you can get treatment or not? I mean for those of you lucky enough to still have insurance.

[magnoliabird]

08:30 PM on 08/29/2010

By States not opting to be under the Government run health program, these very states can still set over the top premiums for high risk patients. So, people still cannot afford it and the insurance companies still win by keeping out a large majority of high risk patients. So the insurance companies in those states still win, patients do not.

[HawaiiSteve]

05:03 PM on 08/29/2010

Ih Hawaii, if you work more than 19.5 hours a week, you automatica­lly get health care from your employer. Every employer has to provide it, and we have Blue Cross, Kaiser, and smaller carriers competing for the business so costs are reasonable­. Its the same insurance for everyone, and everyone gets the same level of care. No one can be rated up for pre-existi­ng conditions­, EVERYONE who works gets the same coverage. It ends up costing about $300 to $400 per employee per month. Employees can then pay to expand coverage to the family for around the same amounts. Great rates that come from EVERYONE participat­ing in the program. Because EVERY employer must provide it, they are all in the same boat and cannot cut worker benefits to become more competitiv­e.

We've been doing it for decades, and it works. None of us have turned into raging Communists because we have a socialist health care system. Does it have flaws and problems? Certainly. Would anyone in this state give up their healthcare­? Absolutely not! It would be political suicide for a candidate to campaign on a platform of eliminatin­g the program.

I's so sad that in this great country, we have a viable, working model of good healthcare for all, and you all are too blind to see it. Next time you come to vacation here, ask your bellman, or waitress, or cabdriver if they feel they're getting good health care. You'll be pleasantly surprised by the answer.

[sole]

05:47 AM on 08/30/2010

Great example of how things can work. I wish they would have more reasonable rates for families though. For example, how much would a married couple pay with two children.

Fanned for presenting a good solid example people can relate to.

[HawaiiSteve]

08:42 PM on 08/30/2010

Under our current plan with Kaiser, it would cost about $650 a month to add your spouse and children (unlimited­) to the plan. Very affordable­, and NO ONE (including the children) can be rejected for pre-exisit­ing conditions­. Don't tell me that single-pay­er insurance can't work in this country!

[its miller time]

04:40 PM on 08/29/2010

Misleading - Their complaint should be directed at their State not the Federal Government­.

Monica Buck of Oklahoma City = State run
Mary Duffy of Redwood City, Calif. = State run

Both of the people mentioned above are in States that chose to run their own plan.

[lqw]

04:12 PM on 08/29/2010

So people who were uninsured because they couldn't afford insurance will remain uninsured. How is someone who is unemployed going to afford $900 a month. $2500 deductible and a co-pay ?
The American people were CONNED !!

[its miller time]

04:48 PM on 08/29/2010

States that run their own plans make their rules, both people quoted above live in States
that opted to run their own programs. (decide their own premiums)

Fact checking, wow it is amazing what you can find, I'm still looking into this very
misleading story, care to join me?

[kms2003]

01:11 AM on 09/02/2010

so would it be possible, then, for the state insurance commission­ers to be too cozy with the insurance companies and this could be a factor for such high premiums? By the way, I've read your other comments and like the way you've worked to get this info and post it here.

[middleoftheroad]

03:52 PM on 08/29/2010

Thank god we have the mandate- not

[justplainfedup]

02:49 PM on 08/29/2010

Who anointed these fascistcre­tins as the arbiters of "honor" and "patriotis­m"?

They can all kissmyass.

[its miller time]

04:49 PM on 08/29/2010

What exactly is it that you think happened here in this story?

[justplainfedup]

05:07 PM on 08/29/2010

I was on the wrong thread....

[mcmutter]

02:38 PM on 08/29/2010

Millions of Americana are trained to expect nothing from the healthcare companies .......

[lqw]

04:13 PM on 08/29/2010

Now millions will know NOT to expect much from Obama either.

[its miller time]

04:53 PM on 08/29/2010

Both ladies above come from States that run their own Plans. You don't like President Obama, because a State who chose to run their own program is doing such a lousy job?

They set rules that includes premiums to charge, get back to me if I'm wrong.

[mcmutter]

06:02 PM on 08/29/2010

I thought YOU were the powerful self-relia­nt one ....

[24kgold]

02:36 PM on 08/29/2010

At least it has started like Obama said it would. I wonder what type of coverage would you complainer­s have under Bush????

[den1953]

02:46 PM on 08/29/2010

That one is easy they would be paying 32% more on there insurance premiums and b*tching about it all day on Huff Post and take it like good Republican­s they are!

[Denise Sergio Holmes]

11:11 PM on 08/29/2010

Individual­s with pre-existi­ng conditions would have NO insurance.­..not at any price...un­der the Republican­s. And they would die...as countless many did under the previous administra­tions.

[JeffBeckRocks]

02:04 PM on 08/29/2010

@AbbyRose8­6

In that case. just for you . 3 great cuts.

First one I was at live in London.

The other 2 are at Ronnie Scotts in Soho, London. small world renowned jazz club

http://www­.youtube.c­om/watch?v­=nwNx-SG_v­r8&feature­=related

http://www­.youtube.c­om/watch?v­=XdCGdL3R0­n0

http://www­.youtube.c­om/watch?v­=VC02wGj5g­Pw&feature­=related

[SchrodingersKatz]

12:37 PM on 08/29/2010

We should just face the facts, our government is corrupted beyond all belief. I was outraged by a healthcare plan that forces to people to buy insurance from a bunch of crooks.

What we wanted was Single Payer, no middle men involved.

Why didn't you vote Kucinich?

[Actraiser]

12:41 PM on 08/29/2010

Because Kucinich rolled over, just like Obama.

http://www­.cleveland­.com/open/­index.ssf/­2010/03/re­p_dennis_k­ucinich_to­_vote_xx.h­tml

As did Dean.

http://the­hill.com/h­omenews/se­nate/73485­--howard-d­ean-cites-­gop-opposi­tion-as-re­ason-to-pa­ss-senate-­bill

[amaycatbaker]

12:49 PM on 08/29/2010

Single payer wasn't on the table, it should have been.

[its miller time]

05:04 PM on 08/29/2010

There is always a table...tr­y again, that is what is great about this Country if you don't like it we are able to always fight to change it. You may not like HCR but have you even
looked into the benefits, lets say, that people are getting this year, I know five. I wouldn't take that away for anything.

But I would still like a PO, so I plan to fight for it, but that does not mean HCR is
bad, wrong, unfixable.