High-Risk Insurance Enrollment Begins Friday
Sign-up will be first come, first serve
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TEL AVIV, ISRAEL - JANUARY 27: Palestinian mother Houda Siam looks on as an Israeli doctor examins her son Abdullah soon after their arrival at the Wolfson Medical Center January 27, 2009 in Tel Aviv. The 6-year-old Palestinian boy, whose powerful relative Hamas Interior Minister Said Siam was assassinated by Israel during its recent offensive in the Gaza Strip, is the first child from Gaza to cross the border to the Israeli hospital for life-saving heart surgery since the war ended on January 18. Siam was brought over by the Christian charity Shevet Achim to repair the hole in his heart through Save a Child's Heart (SACH), an Israeli-based international humanitarian project whose mission is to improve the quality of paediatric cardiac care for children from developing countries who suffer from heart disease and to create centers of competence in these countries. (Photo by David Silverman/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Abdullah Siam;Houda Siam
A new health initiative offers a new option for the uninsured people deemed "high-risk."
Enrollment in the Illinois Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan begins today on a first-come, first-serve basis. Benefits will begin on September 1, 2010 for those people selected to be part of the program.
"This program is not a silver bullet that will solve all health insurance problems in Illinois," said Michael McRaith, director of the Illinois Department of Insurance to the Chicago Tribune. "It will provide a lifeline."
IPXP is federally funded and requires enrollees to pay a premium and out-of-pocket costs.
Illinois is one of about 30 states across the country establishing similar "high-risk pools" under national health reform legislation passed earlier this year.
Here's what you need to know if you plan to apply:
- Must be a U.S. citizen, national or legal resident
- Must be uninsured for 6 months or more
- Must have a preexisting condition
Residents who meet the qualifications can fill out and submit an IPXP enrollment application online.
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