PCIP.gov

Remember that website. It stands for Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plans. It is a US government plan for those without healthinsurance. Here are the eligibility requirements:

To qualify for PCIP, you must:

• Have a pre-existing condition
• Be a U.S. citizen, or live in the U.S. legally
• Have been without health coverage for the last 6 months

You are NOT eligible for PCIP coverage if:

• You have other insurance coverage, even if it doesn't cover your medical condition
• You're enrolled in a state high risk pool
• You have Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, VA or TRICARE coverage
• You have job-based coverage, including COBRA, or continuation of coverage, even if it’s about to end
• You have a limited benefit plan

It is available for residents of  Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, District of  Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming. 

All other states offer their own PCIP programs and you can find a link to them here.

The reason I am writing this post is because of this woman, Leslie Elder with four cancer diagnoses and no insurance, who died of cancer because she did not know she was eligible for insurance with these new plans. This is so wrong.

The new Affordable Care Act provides insurance to more people but I cannot say by any stretch of imagination that it is a 'simple plan'. Didn't Congress end up with a many thousand page document? Its a lot of information to get out there.