A program for sick Americans who were previously denied insurance coverage has been further extended, with individuals now given until the end of June to purchase coverage.
The Pre-Existing Conditions Insurance Plan was originally set to expire on Dec. 31, 2013 and has been extended monthly since.
The Affordable Care Act prohibits insurers from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. Congressional Democrats included the federal high-risk pool in the law as an immediate stop-gap program for people who had been denied coverage by insurers and couldnt wait four years for medical underwriting to be outlawed.
In a Thursday memo, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said that for those who have experienced exceptional circumstances who have not found new coverage that begins on May 1, they will have 60 days from when the coverage ends on April 30.
CMS says that PCIP enrollees will have until June 30 to select a plan and if the person is is eligible to enroll in a qualified health plan, coverage will be effective back to May 1 for anyone who uses the special enrollment period.
Additional reporting by Alex Wayne (Bloomberg).
