State Update – Temporary High Risk Pools
Health and Human Services (HHS) announced on July 1 the establishment of a new Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) that will offer coverage to the uninsured who have been unable to obtain health coverage because of a pre-existing health condition for at least six months. The program was created in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as a transitional program to operate until 2014 when the state operated exchanges become active. The ACA provides $5 billion in federal funding to support operations. Twenty-nine states will be operating the plan themselves while the 21 other states have requested that HHS manage the plan for them. Applications will be accepted beginning today in the 21 states where HHS is operating the program. Click here to find an informational pamphlet on the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan.
States choosing to operate their own plans (29 plus DC) include: Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
21 states have elected to have HHS run their plan and include: Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wyoming.
Source: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)
Janet Haebler, MSN, RN
Tags: Affordable Care Act (ACA), Health and Human Services (HHS), high-risk pools, June 2010, Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP)
