One of the provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is for Americans to be able to obtain health insurance regardless of pre-existing medical conditions. However, when ACA was signed into law in March of 2010, it was still nearly four years (until January of 2014) until insurance companies would be required to cover people with pre-existing conditions.
As a transition for affected individuals who had been uninsured for at least six months, a federal program – the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan – was put into place.
Since its inception, despite the fact that far fewer people have enrolled in the Plan than expected, the costs of their claims have far exceeded projections. In reaction to these higher-than-anticipated costs, changes have been made to the program’s rules along the way, in an effort to rein in expenses: changes to who could enroll, how they can enroll, how brokers can assist with enrollment, and – just announced this week – how much doctors can receive in payment for patients covered by this plan.
You can read more about it in a New York Times article.
At Virginia Medical Plans, we have followed the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan – and all the news concerning health care reform – with great interest.
This particular issue highlights the fact that even the best laid plans can get off track – something to keep in mind over the next several months as the next phases of the Affordable Care Act are implemented. Virginia Medical Plans will continue to stay abreast of the potential roller coaster of changes, and will be ready to assist our clients at every turn. Give us a call if we can help!
