Hope For Uninsured Melanoma Patients
Without insurance, if it came down to it how much would you pay for your life? In August of 2008, Martin Mead, found a lump in his groin. The “diagnosis was cancerous melanoma that had invaded his lymph nodes and required surgery, chemo, and radiation.” Without insurance his very treatable diagnosis raised that very same question. How much would he be willing to pay to save his life? Mead went through with the treatment, but it cost him $50,000. Mead needed help with his hospital bills and faced a lot of trouble when he tried to become insured. In most instances he couldn’t get a quote, he was quoted extremely high premium payments and was told he would have to wait a year before the policy provided any coverage for his pre-existing condition.
Mead didn’t give up and he found the help that he and many other uninsured Americans need.
He found an affordable health insurance that would immediately cover bills for his illness through the Pre-Existing Conditions Insurance Plan (PCIP). This relatively new insurance plan treats pre-existing conditions. It was created a year ago as a part of the Affordable Care Act passed by Congress. The Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) helps people find high-quality health insurance at affordable prices. The PCIP is hope for those who are struggling to choose between health and money. The only problem is people don’t know about it.
The Federal government allocated $5 billion nationally to pay for the PCIP until theHealth Insurance Exchange takes effect in 2014. Since its creation only a small portion has been spent in the first year! In Maine (where Mead lives) 130,000 people qualify, but only about 25 have signed up. I’m not sure who is behind the lack of advertisement for the PCIP, but I’m sure we all can take some guesses.
The PCIP covers a broad-range of health benefits, including primary and specialty care, hospital care and prescription drugs. The PCIP will not charge a higher premium because of your medical condition and does not base your eligibility on income. You can search for a plan in your state and learn more about the plan atPCIP.gov.
Answer YES to all of these criteria and you are ELIGIBLE:
- US Citizen or legal resident of the United States
- Have been without health insurance for at least 6 months
- Have a pre-existing condition and/or
- You have been denied coverage because of a health condition
The COST vary depending on:
- Income
- Assets
- Household composition
- Region where the policy holder lives
- Sliding scale available for those who earn less than 300% of the poverty level
The PCIP kicks-in immediately–no waiting! Go see for yourself…I would love to hear some feedback!
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