4 People Who Could Be Helped By Passing The House GOP’s Helping Sick Americans Now Act

The Obama Administration highlighted a number of individuals who have benefitted from the existing high-risk pools.  Unfortunately, thousands of other similarly situated Americans have been denied access to these high risk pools under ObamaCare’s underfunded Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Program (PCIP). Under the Helping Sick Americans Now Act, these individuals can access insurance to cover their life-saving treatments. President Obama broke his ObamaCare promise. House Republicans are working to help vulnerable Americans.

Deborah from Michigan: In 2006, Deborah seriously injured her back. Immediately after her injury, she could no longer drive and subsequently lost her job. Since her COBRA coverage ran out, she has been uninsured. Now a self-employed business owner tutoring children out of her home, Deborah’s pre-existing condition has locked her out of the health insurance market. In the summer of 2011, Deborah found out about Michigan’s State-run PCIP program, Health Insurance Program, and was able to enroll and receive back surgery in August.

Retha from Texas: When Retha’s husband was diagnosed with a terminal illness, she knew that they had to move back home to Texas to spend the last few months among family. She never expected that this meant she would have to choose between her comforting her husband and keeping her health insurance. When she and her husband moved from New Mexico to Texas, her insurance company informed her that she could no longer keep her coverage as she lived beyond the State lines. Just prior to this, a routine check-up had found a blockage in a major artery. Having worked most of her life in the assisted living field, Retha knew the importance of quick diagnosis and quick treatment. But without insurance, her treatment would bankrupt the family. Fortunately, she discovered PCIP and started her treatment – finding new blockages that had gone undiagnosed, and likely saving her life.

Deborah “Jo” from Virginia: Jo found that, despite her CFA and PhD in Economics, was unable to find an affordable policy due to a pre-existing medical condition. She signed up for PCIP coverage in Virginia as soon as possible, and started her policy in August of 2010. The coverage could not have come at a more fortunate time. In January of 2011, Jo was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and had to undergo an aggressive course of treatment to beat the cancer into remission. As she told some of the PCIP workers who sat with her during this trying time, without PCIP she would have faced both a daunting cancer diagnosis and medical bills totaling over $120,000.

Cathy from Ohio: Many years ago, Cathy was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus, a serious long-term illness which can result in early death. Fortunately, her case was caught early, and with proper management of the chronic disease, she has remained in good health and expects to live a long and full life. Still, her pre-existing condition left her uninsurable in the eyes of insurance companies, and she was repeatedly denied coverage. Upon hearing of the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan, Cathy immediately applied and started her coverage in September of 2010. Cathy is now enrolled in the Ohio State- run PCIP program. Cathy is paying monthly premiums, co-insurance payments, and deductibles s on any other policy. (The Center for Consumer Information & Insurance Oversight, “COVERING PEOPLE WITH PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS: REPORT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION AND OPERATION OF THE PRE-EXISTING CONDITION INSURANCE PLAN PROGRAM,” 2/23/12)