Health Reform Victories

Marilyn called us from Iowa. Her ex-husband was laid off from his job. Although he could have continued his daughter’s health insurance under COBRA, he failed to do so, leaving the girls without coverage.

Both of Marilyn’s daughters have inflammatory bowel disease. Her minimal income disqualified them from Medicaid or CHIP, leaving the girls without any health insurance. Marilyn works, but her plan would not cover the girls because of their pre-existing conditions.

I explained, though, that under the Affordable Care Act, children under age 19 cannot be turned down for insurance due to pre-existing conditions. Marilyn was thrilled; you’d have thought she’d won the lottery!

Marilyn went to her employer with her newfound knowledge and both girls were enrolled in her employer’s plan as Marilyn’s dependents, with coverage of their pre-existing conditions from day one.

And in another case ....

Doris called from Missouri. She has a fourteen year old son with ulcerative colitis and she could not find him insurance anywhere due to his pre-existing condition.

Lucky for Doris, she called me in August 2010. On September 23, 2010, the Affordable Care Act’s consumer protections would kick in, I explained. That meant that she would be able to find her son insurance because insurers no longer could refuse to cover children under age 19 with pre-existing conditions.

Due to the Affordable Care Act, Doris’s son is insured.

Real lives. Real people. Real difference. Jennifer