California announced the launch of its new federally funded, high-risk health insurance pool for people with pre-existing medical conditions. The Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) is the first consumer program to be offered under the federal health reform law and will operate alongside the state’s existing health insurance pool. PCIP rates are much lower than premiums in the California’s high-risk pool, ranging from a $140 monthly rate for a child under 15 years of age to as much as $1,000 per month for those over age 65. California will use $761 million in federal funding to operate its high-risk pool, which is expected to cover an estimated 23,000 Californians. As of last week, the state has received more than 830 applications and has sent out more than 6,420 applications to prospective participants.
Eligibility for the PCIP is based on the following conditions:
- You must be a California resident.
- You did not have health insurance coverage for the 6 months prior to your application being received (i.e., you were not enrolled in an individual or job-based health plan, including COBRA or Cal-COBRA, or enrolled in Medicare Part A and/or Part B, or in No-Cost Medicaid/No-Cost Medi-Cal).
- You must be a U.S. Citizen, U.S. National, or lawfully present individual.
- U.S. Citizens or U.S. Nationals must provide their Social Security Number.
- You must have been denied individual insurance coverage within the past 12 months for a pre-existing condition, and you must provide one of the following forms of documentation:
- Rejection letter from a health insurance company in the last 12 months
- If you were offered coverage with premiums higher than those of the Major Risk Medical Insurance Program (MRMIP) and/or Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) in the geographic region you sought coverage.
To obtain a quote for this health plan or home and auto insurance, please visit our website at www.hwpinsurance.com and click on the “Get a quote” section of our website.
