[Nfbf-l] Fw: HHS Announcements on Pre-existing Conditions and Prevention

Sat Feb 12 13:24:29 UTC 2011

HHS Announcements on Pre-existing Conditions and Prevention
----- Original Message ----- 
From: White House Disability Group 
To: carlos.montas at gmail.com 
Sent: Friday, February 11, 2011 7:50 AM
Subject: HHS Announcements on Pre-existing Conditions and Prevention

Please circulate these 2 announcements:

1. Uninsured Americans with Pre-existing Conditions Continue to Gain Coverage through Affordable Care Act

New resources available to increase awareness of new program for the uninsured

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today made new resources available to the media, consumer groups, states, health care providers, and others to increase awareness of the Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP), a health plan for uninsured Americans with pre-existing conditions created by the Affordable Care Act.

Americans continue to enroll in the plan, which was created in 2010 to provide comprehensive health coverage – at the same price that otherwise healthy people pay – for uninsured Americans living with such conditions as cancer, diabetes, or heart disease who have been unable to obtain affordable health insurance coverage. 

“This program has helped thousands of people that desperately need coverage and we are excited to see Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan enrollment is ramping up, in much of the way enrollment in the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) did in the 1990's, as more people learn about the new insurance options available,” said Steve Larsen, director of the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO), which operates the program. “We are working every day to get the word out about this program, to find people who have been abandoned by the health insurance industry to get them the coverage they have been denied for so long.”

This temporary program covers a broad range of health benefits and is designed as a bridge for people with pre-existing conditions who cannot obtain health insurance coverage in today’s private insurance market. In 2014, all Americans – regardless of their health status – will have access to affordable coverage either through their employer or through a new competitive marketplace, and insurers will be prohibited from denying coverage to anyone based on their health status.

The Department is actively working with states, consumer groups, chronic disease organizations, health care providers, social workers, other federal agencies, and the insurance industry to promote the plan, including holding meetings with state officials, consumer groups, and others. New resources that are available to communities to help inform eligible Americans of the plan include a new web badge that links to PCIP.gov , as well as a new newsletter and website drop-in language that partners can use in their outreach efforts.

Nationally, enrollment in the Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan is ramping up steadily and has increased by 50 percent in the past three months to more than 12,000 Americans.

HHS’ Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight is also working with the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) on a comprehensive outreach campaign, putting information about the plan in the approximately 3.2 million social security disability insurance application receipts distributed each year. SSA is also promoting the Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan in its advocate newsletter, its website, and on TVs in the waiting rooms of SSA’s more than 600 field offices.

Recently, several large commercial insurance carriers volunteered to include information on the plan in all insurance denial letters. Carriers that report they are including such language in their turndown letters include, but are not limited to: Wellpoint, Humana, United Health Group, and several of the Blue Cross/Blue Shield plans. 

Resources available to consumer groups, media, states and others include:

*         PCIP.gov – This website offers information about eligibility, benefits and more. Consumers can find online and print applications for the plan in their state. FAQs are also available to help both organizations and consumers better understand the program.

*         Web Badge – A new website button was released today that groups can post on their website to link to PCIP.gov. To add the button to your website, visit www.HealthCare.gov/stay_connected.html and embed the code listed.

*         Newsletter and Website Drop-in Language – Also released today, this language is ready for consumer groups, state or local governments or other organizations to simply drop into their newsletters or post on their websites to help educate consumers about their health insurance options. To find this language, visit www.HealthCare.gov/center/brochures.

*         Posters and Brochures – Organizations can download or print English and Spanish language brochures and posters about PCIP to share with consumers. Find the brochures and posters here, www.HealthCare.gov/center/brochures.

Visit PCIP.gov  for more information on how the plan works in each state, including eligibility and how to apply. To find recent enrollment numbers, visit www.HealthCare.gov/news/factsheets/pre-existing_condition_insurance_enrollment.html.

2. HHS Announces $750 Million Investment in Prevention

New health care law provides new funding to reduce tobacco use, obesity and heart disease, and build healthier communities

Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced a $750 million investment in prevention and public health, funded through the Prevention and Public Health Fund created by the new health care law. Building on $500 million in investments last year, these new dollars will help prevent tobacco use, obesity, heart disease, stroke, and cancer; increase immunizations; and empower individuals and communities with tools and resources for local prevention and health initiatives.

“Prevention is something that can’t just happen in a doctor’s office. If we are to address the big health issues of our time, from physical inactivity to poor nutrition to tobacco use, it needs to happen in local communities,” said Sebelius. “This investment is going to build on the prevention work already under way to help make sure that we are working effectively across the federal government as well as with private groups and state and local governments to help Americans live longer, healthier lives.

The Prevention and Public Health Fund, part of the Affordable Care Act, is designed to expand and sustain the necessary capacity to prevent disease, detect it early, manage conditions before they become severe, and provide states and communities the resources they need to promote healthy living. In FY2010, $500 million of the Prevention Fund was distributed to states and communities to boost prevention and public health efforts, improve health, enhance health care quality, and foster the next generation of primary health professionals. Today, HHS posted new fact sheets detailing how that $500 million was allocated in every state. Those fact sheets are available at www.HealthCare.gov/news/factsheets/prevention02092011a.html. 

This year, building on the initial investment, new funds are dedicated to expanding on four critical priorities: 

*         Community Prevention ($298 million): These funds will be used to help promote health and wellness in local communities, including efforts to prevent and reduce tobacco use; improve nutrition and increase physical activity to prevent obesity; and coordinate and focus efforts to prevent chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

*         Clinical Prevention ($182 million): These funds will help improve access to preventive care, including increasing awareness of the new prevention benefits provided under the new health care law. They will also help increase availability and use of immunizations, and help integrate behavioral health services into primary care settings.

*         Public Health Infrastructure ($137 million): These funds will help state and local health departments meet 21st century challenges, including investments in information technology and training for the public health workforce to enable detection and response to infectious disease outbreaks and other health threats.

*         Research and Tracking ($133 million): These funds will help collect data to monitor the impact of the Affordable Care Act on the health of Americans and identify and disseminate evidence-based recommendations on important public health challenges.

The Obama Administration recognizes the importance of a broad approach to addressing the health and well-being of our communities. Other initiatives put forth by the Obama Administration to promote prevention include: 

*         The President’s Childhood Obesity Task Force and the First Lady’s Let’s Move! initiative aimed at combating childhood obesity.

*         The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 that provides $1 billion for community-based initiatives, tobacco cessation activities, chronic disease reduction programs, and efforts to reduce healthcare-acquired infections.

*         The Affordable Care Act’s National Prevention, Health Promotion and Public Health Council, composed of senior government officials, charged with designing a National Prevention and Health Promotion Strategy.

For more information about the FY2011 Prevention and Public Health Fund investments, visit www.HealthCare.gov/news/factsheets/prevention02092011b.html.

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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news

  a.. FY2011Prevention_Fund_Detailed_Table.pdf

The White House · 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW · Washington DC 20500 · 202-456-1111
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