HHS Announcements on Pre-existing Conditions andPrevention

February 12, 2011

Recieved this from another group I am in.

Kathy

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. rs 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.h\

tml.

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.

###

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Begin forwarded message:

Please circulate these 2 announcements: