Pre-Existing Insurance Plan

Today is a good day. After 7 months of having no insurance, I got my approval letter for the new pre-existing health plan that is now available for people who are considered insurable. Without getting into a political discussion, this is life changing for people who fall into my group. My husband brings in pension money that makes us not qualify for assistance. I can't get a job with insurance until I fix my back problem. For the last 3 years, I have had very limited insurance help because I was being discriminated for a pre-existing condition that was from a surgery more than 10 years ago. I was categorized as 'high risk' category number 4 (which is the worst you can be) just for simply having an MRI in the last year and because I had had a cortisone injection in my hips for bursitis. I had been living in Europe for the last 8 years and never had to worry about getting help when I needed it. It was a rude awakening moving back to the USA because insurance, and the cost of insurance, had gotten so much worse since I left back in 2001. There are now huge co-pays and huge deductibles. It is crazy....

So back to the Pre-existing health insurance plan. The disclaimer is that you have to go 6 months without insurance and send in a rejection letter showing you tried to get insurance on your own. I did both of those things and am expecting my card in the mail shortly. This will be life changing for me because I haven't been able to go to the doctor for a very long time other than having prolotherapy, which I have to pay out of my own pocket anyways.

If you have not heard about the pre-existing insurance plan, you can find it on this weblink: https://www.pcip.gov/ Some States have their own plans and some States have opted out but I believe there is a Federal plan in its place. I have not seen a lot of new coverage on this and I hear that a small portion of the public has actually applied for it. If you are taking expensive medication, it is very difficult to go 6 months without any insurance. I had to get all my medication from a Canadian Pharmacy during that time and I am scared to think if the pills I am taking are even real. It could be psychological, but I feel they don't work as well as when I was getting them from my local pharmacy.

For all the back pain sufferers, this is a move in the right direction. Having to pay obscene amounts for all your healthcare just because of your pre-existing back pain condition is just plain unfair. Most people don't even go for surgery and other treatments are done for minimal costs.