California may have been the last state to launch an interim health insurance program before the Affordable Care Act takes effect, but its program is now ranked the second most successful behind that of Pennsylvania’s. The program began several months after the health care reform law was passed. It was created to offer those with pre-existing medical conditions, such as cancer and diabetes, access to affordable health insurance policies. The state received an unexpectedly high federal grant to promote the program, which saw its enrollment skyrocket in recent months. When…
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Health coverage for adults with pre-existing conditions to receive financial boost in California
The federal government will be sending California $118 million in funds to support its health coverage of adults who have a pre-existing medical condition in 2012. The Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) has been federally funded and state run since 2010, to make sure that those who would be otherwise uninsurable would be able to obtain coverage, regardless of the medical conditions that have either caused insurers to deny them a policy or to charge astronomical premiums. The PCIP functions as a transition to provide this necessary coverage until 2014,…
Read MoreWill insurers be the next motivator for quitting smoking?
Insurance companies have put forward a proposal to charge a higher premium for covering smokers as a new form of motivator for individuals to quit their cigarette habit. WalMart is among the organizations spearheading this effort to make it more expensive for smokers to obtain health insurance coverage. However, whether or not it is right for medical insurance to make this choice is just as important as whether or not people will actually take control over their own health risks and stop their smoking habit. According to Psychologist Dr. Carol…
Read MoreCalifornia enrollment period for Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan coming to a premature end
In California, enrollment in the federal Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan may be coming to a premature end. The plan is an offshoot of the Affordable Care Act and aims to bring affordable insurance coverage to those with chronic illnesses and other pre-existing conditions that kept private insurers away for years. Lawmakers had originally set the enrollment limit in California to 23,000 people. The costs of running the program, however, seem to be much more than first estimated, and California legislators have lowered the enrollment limit to a scant 6,800. With…
Read MoreProblems with Ohio’s high-risk insurance pool bode ill for residents with chronic ailments
Last year, Ohio legislators approved a plan to establish a high-risk insurance pool in the state in order to appease new federal health care laws. The program was meant to attract residents who have had trouble obtaining insurance coverage in the past due to high-risk illnesses or chronic conditions. With more than 1,800 people currently enrolled in the plan, legislators are now seeing higher-than-expected costs in keeping the program afloat. In an attempt to mitigate the rising costs of the program, legislators have now limited enrollment. The program was meant…
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