It would be difficult to underestimate the positive impact of ObamaCare – the Affordable Care Act – on persons with disabilities. In the last two weeks, I have had three clients who were seeking a finding of “disabled” by the Social Security Administration because being found eligible for a monthly disability check would qualify them to receive health care. None of them are now that they can purchase health insurance.
The private profit-making health insurance industry will not take individuals with pre-existing health conditions. One client, a published author, had lost her health insurance when she developed Crohn’s Disease. Although it was initially somewhat managed, painfully, by medications, she now needs to have many feet of necrotic intestinal tissue removed surgically from her stomach. Even though she has money, no insurance company would sell her health insurance. She has too much money for Medicaid eligibility. She will die without surgery.
Fortunately, the Obama health care plan contains the Pre-existing Condition Insurance Program (www.pcip.gov) which is a Republican idea put into Obama’s Affordable Care Act. This allows her to purchase health insurance from the same private non-profit insurance company that insures U.S. Senators and Congressman. The coverage is affordable and immediate, and covers pre-existing conditions.
For more information, go to www.pcip.gov. The plan is described at www.pciplan.com and includes doctors, hospitals, medications, therapies, and everything that Congress would write for itself as a great insurance plan.
What this means, however, is that she will get her surgery, she is NOT filing a claim for SSA disability benefits, and she will not be on government-provided free Medicaid. With the surgery, we expect full recovery and she will return to work. Likewise for the other clients I recently interviewed who are dropping their claims for disability benefits and buying this health insurance instead.
More info here.