There was an article in the NY Times yesterday about how there have been surprisingly few applicants for the Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plans that are part of the health care reform bill. It could be because people that don't have health insurance also can't afford the premiums for this. Alternatively, it could be due to a lack of knowledge that this option is now out there. Do you know anybody who needs this program? Spread the word.
Here's a link to the NY Times article:
http://www.nytimes.com/...
The article gives the following example of this program in action:
Edward J. Kenyon Jr., 49, an electrician in Sanford, Me., whose multiple myeloma, a blood cancer, was diagnosed last spring, said the policy he bought in August from that state’s pool had been a godsend.
Mr. Kenyon, who is self-employed, said he had not been able to afford health insurance for 20 years, and was managing to pay for a share of his chemotherapy treatments only through fund-raising by his family and friends.
His cancer diagnosis, of course, made him uninsurable. When his doctors told him that he needed a bone marrow transplant, and that it could cost $350,000, he said he had to laugh to keep from crying.
With the risk-pool coverage in effect, Mr. Kenyon has scheduled the transplant for Nov. 26. His monthly premium, he said, runs $419.54, with a $1,000 deductible.
"It’s just been an enormous load lifted off of us," Mr. Kenyon said. "We can try to think about what’s ahead of us with this transplant. One of the things they say when you’re getting treated for something like this is that you need to not be worried and just focus on getting well."
More information is available here:
https://www.pcip.gov/
[Later] The Huffington Post also ran an article about this in early October:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...