Nancy's Lung Transplant Journey: The Affordable Care Act

Welcome friends and family!

Thank you for visiting my blog. It documents my amazing journey from pre to post double lung transplant. I am a 37 year old mother and wife with Cystic Fibrosis who has been more greatly blessed than I could ever imagine possible!

It has been a bumpy ride, but God has given me strength, love, friendship, and, FINALLY, health. My prayers have been answered, my miracle was granted, and I want to share the joy of my new life with you.

If you are a first time visitor, please take a moment to watch The Miracle of Transplantation video below. To me, pictures speak a thousand words.

My entries begin in April of 2008 and my double lung transplant was December 10. Scroll down to my blog archive and you can read from the beginning or jump around. If you are looking for a specific topic, you can use the search engine.

Please feel free to contact me with questions or feedback, I would love to hear from you!

I hope I can help you to experience the love God has for each and every one of us!

May God Bless You with Miracles in Your Life! Nancy

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Thursday, July 7, 2011

The Affordable Care Act

The Affordable Care Act, signed and passed in March of last year, holds many benefits for those both pre- and post-transplant. While you may already be familiar with some of the Act's immediate benefits, it's in your interest to understand how long-term initiatives may improve your healthcare coverage in the future.

General benefits to look for

If you have been denied insurance due to a pre-existing condition—such as a history of transplant or kidney disease—the Act is creating ways to help^1,2:

•	It removes lifetime coverage limits and sets more reasonable annual limits
•	As of September 2010, it eliminated pre-existing conditions as a reason for denying coverage to, or setting high premiums on, individuals up to 19 years of age
•	Effective 2014, it will eliminate pre-existing conditions as a reason for denying coverage to, or setting high premiums on, individuals 19 years and older

Your options until 2014³

Most significantly, the Act has created the Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP)—which may provide you affordable, non–income-based coverage if you've been uninsured or denied insurance for at least 6 months due to a pre-existing condition.⁴

Standard PCIP benefits include primary, specialty, and preventative care; hospitalization services; and prescription drug coverage.⁴ Depending on where you live, these benefits may either be managed by the federal government or the state.⁴ Click the map for benefits, coverage rates, and enrollment details specific to your state of residence⁵:

If your PCIP program is run by the state, you will be offered a single plan by that state; but if it is run by the federal government, you will have the option of selecting from the following 3 plans^6-8:

Be sure to read the 2011 PCIP Brochure and the PCIP Benefits Summarybefore discussing your options with a financial coordinator or PCIP representative.

Your access to coverage is critical to your transplant health. With the help of the Affordable Care Act, you are now many steps closer to ensuring a successful journey ahead.