Georgia to participate in federal insurance plan

“For too long, Georgia residents with pre-existing conditions have been locked out of our health insurance market,” said Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “Today, the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan gives them a new option — the same insurance coverage as a healthy individual if they’ve been uninsured for at least six months because of a medical condition. This program will provide people the help they need as the nation transitions to a more competitive and fair market place in 2014.”

The Affordable Care Act provides $5 billion in federal funding to support Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plans in every state.

Some states, like Georgia, have requested that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services run their Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan. Other states have requested that they run the program themselves.

For more information about the plan and how to apply, visit HHS’s new consumer website, www.HealthCare.gov.

An informational pamphlet on the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan can be found at: http://www.healthcare.gov/ center/brochures/PCIP.pdf.