Rep. Castor announces that up to 7.8M Floridians with pre-existing conditions will no longer face discrimination, thanks to Affordable Care Act
Press Release
Because of the Affordable Care Act, for the first time starting January 2014, insurance companies will be prohibited from denying health coverage for the up to 129 million Americans -- including up to 7.8 million adults and children in Florida -- with pre-existing conditions, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Florida has the fourth highest number of individuals with pre-existing conditions, such as cancer, asthma or diabetes.
"This staggering number -- 40 percent of Florida's population -- shows just how widespread the benefits of the Affordable Care Act are to Americans," U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor said. "Insurance companies will no longer be able to charge higher premiums based on health status or health history, and this is one of several important patient protections that will build a quality health care system for our neighbors and provide economic security to our middle-class families."
Of the up to 7.8 million Floridians with pre-existing conditions, approximately 960,000 are children.
"Tina, a small business owner in my district recently wrote to me about the tough time she's had finding health insurance due to her pre-existing condition, and she is "thrilled to be able to purchase a health insurance policy once again due to the ACA.' She said she is in better health than many of her peers, but found it frustrating that "insurance companies looked at me as a liability in their profit,'" Rep. Castor said.
"Ana, who attended an enrollment fair in Tampa, has asthma and has had no insurance for the past 14 years. She has been paying for everything out of pocket. These are the type of stories we are hearing in my office and from navigators in the community."
Other patient rights and protections implemented by the ACA make it illegal for health insurance companies to arbitrarily cancel health insurance plans and young adults may remain on their parents' plans until age 26. About 8.5 million consumers across the country received a refund this year from their health insurance companies if at least 80 percent of their premiums weren't spent on medical care. In addition, Medicare is stronger and beneficiaries have pocketed significant prescription cost savings.
Below is the full report by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services:
APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF AMERICANS WITH PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS
State
Number of Children and Adults
Number of Children
Alabama
2,040,000
267,000
Alaska
43,000
43,000
Arizona
2,794,000
411,000
Arkansas
1,239,000
168,000
California
16,133,000
2,236,000
Colorado
2,250,000
291,000
Connecticut
1,555,000
192,000
Delaware
384,000
49,000
District of Columbia
268,000
27,000
Florida
7,839,000
960,000
Georgia
4,324,000
613,000
Hawaii
560,000
69,000
Idaho
662,000
99,000
Illinois
5,636,000
753,000
Indiana
2,796,000
376,000
Iowa
1,290,000
168,000
Kansas
1,214,000
166,000
Kentucky
1,895,000
241,000
Louisiana
1,952,000
266,000
Maine
590,000
65,000
Maryland
2,543,000
320,000
Massachusetts
2,931,000
340,000
Michigan
4,394,000
556,000
Minnesota
2,319,000
298,000
Mississippi
1,262,000
181,000
Missouri
2,602,000
339,000
Montana
426,000
52,000
Nebraska
768,000
106,000
Nevada
1,157,000
162,000
New Hampshire
597,000
69,000
New Jersey
3,848,000
485,000
New Mexico
862,000
122,000
New York
8,616,000
1,048,000
North Carolina
4,100,000
539,000
North Dakota
276,000
34,000
Ohio
5,053,000
643,000
Oklahoma
1,579,000
218,000
Oregon
1,692,000
207,000
Pennsylvania
5,489,000
657,000
Rhode Island
463,000
54,000
South Carolina
1,991,000
256,000
South Dakota
346,000
47,000
Tennessee
2,765,000
353,000
Texas
10,695,000
1,632,000
Utah
1,151,000
206,000
Vermont
281,000
30,000
Virginia
3,491,000
438,000
Washington
2,970,000
372,000
West Virginia
800,000
91,000
Wisconsin
2,489,000
310,000
Wyoming
241,000
31,000
Source