Congress and President Obama have enacted the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, a major health care reform bill that will drastically change the U.S. health care system.
As part of the reform bill, new high risk pool plans are being created to help cover people with pre-existing medical conditions. This is called the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP).
In Arizona, the new plan is operated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (In some states, the plan is run by the state itself.)
If you are not able to qualify for a major medical health insurance plan due to your pre-existing health conditions, this new PCIP plan is probably your best option, if it is affordable to you. (see rates below)
***If you are not able to qualify for the new plan, click here to request an Arizona health insurance quote.***
Here are the basic details of the new plan, including qualification requirements and how to apply.
Arizona Pre-Existing Condition Health Insurance Plans
- How do I qualify for the plan?
- You must be a U.S. citizen or reside in the U.S. legally.
- You must have been without health insurance for a minimum of 6 months. (This is the one that keeps most people from qualifying)
- You must have a pre-existing condition or have been denied health coverage because of your health condition.
- How much does the PCIP plan cost?
The monthly premiums for Arizona’s Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) have now been lowered (as of 7/1/2011). The government dropped the rates substantially because very few people were signing up. The current rates are as follows:
- What doctors and hospitals will accept the new plans?
There are many providers – click here for a detailed list.
- What is covered?
There are three plan options:
- the Standard Option ($2,000 Deductible)
- the Extended Option ($1,000 Deductible)
- the HSA Option ($2,500 Deductible)
Each plan comes with a broad range of benefits including hospitalization, doctor visits and prescription drugs. Click here to download the benefits summary.
- What if I can’t afford the monthly cost?
If you can’t afford the plan, you may be able to qualify for Arizona’s low income Medicaid plan, called AHCCCS.
- How do I apply for the PCIP plan?
The easiest way to apply is to fill out an application online at pcip.gov. There is no cost to apply.
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I had previously been on AHCCCS but once my children turned 18 I was no longer eligible for AHCCCS. I have several medical conditions, one of them is a heart condition, I have CAD, have 3 stents in my heart and have high blood pressure, just to name a few. I’ve been without health insurance since 6/12, I have 10 prescriptions that I need however I cannot afford, just one of them, Plavix is 175.00 a month. I have no idea where to go or what to do about this. I was layed off of my job in July and have been looking for a job w/benifits ever since, still looking. If you have any suggestions or can be of any help please let me know, I’ve stopped taking two of my prescriptions because I cannot afford them any longer. My email is l******@hotmail.com. Thank you, Laura
I have just read the above and I am disgusted that a country like America has such poor health care. This poor lady Laura Buell cant seem to get her prescriptions. How can such a nation leave their citizens in such a mess. It seems very archaic to me. Come on USA move with the times and get your health care sorted. Im from the UK and im just beginning to realise how great our NHS health service is. Hope you get help Laura.