People in Illinois who have a pre-existing health condition, and no health insurance, may be able to get health insurance now. This is part of the recently enacted national health legislation. You will need to act quickly to take advantage of this program.
The Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan, or PCIP, is part of the Affordable Care Act. Different parts of the Affordable Care Act will become available as time goes on. The PCIP is the first part that is being rolled out. It is designed to make health insurance available to people who have been turned down by private insurance companies, due to a pre-existing condition.
If you want to enroll in the Illinois Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (IPXP) do it quickly. It will be on a first come, first serve basis. The State of Illinois anticipates that around 6,000 people will seek this form of insurance, but the current funding will only cover about 4,000 of those people. Those that are accepted will be able to use the insurance benefits starting September 1, 2010.
In order to qualify for IPXP, you must be a U.S. Citizen, or legal resident, and live in Illinois. You must have a pre-existing condition. You have to have been without health insurance for at least six months prior to when you apply for IPXP. And, you must have evidence that you have been turned down from a private insurance company specifically because you have a pre-existing condition.
This insurance will cover visits to see a doctor, hospitalizations, surgeries, outpatient services, prescription drugs, and mental health. You must pay a $2,000 deductible before this kind of insurance will start to cover the costs of your medical care. You will also be required to pay a monthly premium. The cost of that premium will vary depending on a person’s age, where the person lives, and if the person uses tobacco. If you live in Chicago, are 25 years old, and you don’t use tobacco, your premium will be $149 a month. From there, premiums go up. It will be $192 a month for 35 year olds, $280 for those age 45, and $408 for age 55, (in Chicago).
The IPXP is for individual coverage, only. It does not cover a person’s family or children. If you waited too long, and this plan fills up before you are accepted, you might try applying to the Illinois Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan (ICHIP) instead. The monthly premiums for ICHIP will be higher than they will be for IPXP.
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