Funds Running Low
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to ordered California to suspend enrollment in the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP). This enrollment suspension applies to applications received by the state of California after March 2, 2013. The demand for the PCIP program has outstripped expectations. CMS has announced this nationwide suspension of enrollment to assure that there are sufficient funds available throughout 2013 to continuously cover people currently enrolled in PCIP through the period when the program is already scheduled to end in December.
There are only two exceptions to this suspension:
- California will still enroll people after March 2 if the individual is currently enrolled in a PCIP program in another state and they move to California
- California will continue to screen applications submitted after March 2 to see if the individual qualifies for the state’s own high risk pool, the Major Risk Medical Insurance Program, MRMIP
The current PCIP enrollees will remain covered and will receive services through December 31, 2013.
PCIP was established as a temporary program for people who were unable to secure coverage in the insurance marketplace. Starting January 1, 2014, there will no longer be a need for PCIP because the Affordable Care Act does not allow insurers to deny individuals with pre-existing conditions or charge them higher rates than those without such conditions. Also, the California Exchange, “Covered California” will be open for business in January for both individuals and small businesses to buy affordable health benefits plans.
How was it that the folks writing or implementing the ACA didn't do demographics/statistics of the folks with pre-existing conditions ahead of time? Of course, as far as the insurance industry goes they count a vaginal yeast infection a pre-existing condition or pregnancy for instance. So that would make that list huge.
So what are these folks going to do? The MRMIB program apparently takes a year to qualify for it.
You must know that Single Payer would solve all of these problems for less(5% overhead vs. 20-25%) and save many more lives. Until the leaders of this wealthy country understand that folks will still not be covered and will die due to lack of preventive care the ACA isn't helping the folks who need it the most.
There will already be 3-5 million not covered and this current debacle is going to add more!!