Delawareans have new health insurance options for coverage of pre-existing conditions

 WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) visited the Henrietta Johnson Medical Center in Wilmington on Monday to trumpet the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan created under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

“Expanding health insurance coverage to people with pre-existing conditions is one of the most important parts of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,” Senator Coons said. “Though that provision went into effect for children last September, adults have to wait until 2014. That’s where the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan comes in. Delawareans who have been denied coverage for a pre-existing condition like cancer, diabetes, asthma or high-blood pressure need to know that there is now an option available to them.”            

Delaware’s Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Program is administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Government Employees Health Administration and covers a wide range of health benefits, including primary and specialty care, hospital stays, and prescription drugs. There are no waiting periods for coverage of pre-existing conditions. There are three plan options:

Delawareans who apply for the PCIP will need to be able to produce a letter from a Delaware-licensed insurance company denying coverage within the last 12 months, or a letter from an insurance agent citing a pre-existing condition as the reason for not being qualified for coverage. A coverage rider specifically denying coverage of a pre-existing condition would also suffice.

More information about the Pre-Existing Coverage Insurance Plan, including full qualifications, is available at www.pcip.gov and www.healthcare.gov. Consumers with questions can also call the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan at 1-866-717-5826: (TTY: 1-866-561-1604), Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., Eastern Time.

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