FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 26, 2013

Enrollment to end in Federal Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan

NMMIP Encourages Immediate Receipt of Applications

SANTA FE, NM – The federal government has announced that as of March 2, 2013 the temporary federal “high-risk pool” set up under the 2010 health-care law will be closed to new applicants. The federal health insurance pool is open to individuals with pre-existing health conditions who have not had health insurance for the past six months. In New Mexico, the federal Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan has provided affordable health insurance to more than 2,000 New Mexicans over the past few years. The New Mexico administered federal plan may not process PCIP enrollment applications received after March 2nd, 2013 so interested individuals are highly encouraged to get their applications in as soon as possible. The insurance coverage for the approximately 1,500 New Mexicans who are now enrolled in the federal plan will not be affected by these changes.

“New Mexico has provided one of the most successful state-administered federal insurance plans in the nation. However, only being given very short notice by the federal government to stop enrollment in this important program is an example of our extreme concern of what will happen if New Mexico does not have a state-based insurance exchange in January 2014. It is critical that New Mexico not be at the whim of the federal government when it comes to health care access for as many of our residents as possible,” said Jason Sandel, a Farmington City Councilor and Vice Chairman of the New Mexico Medical Insurance Pool. The federal program was launched in the summer of 2010 and was intended as a temporary bridge for the uninsured that was supposed to last until 2014. At that point, the health-care law will bar insurers from rejecting or otherwise discriminating against people who are already sick, enabling such people to buy plans through the private market. According to federal budget estimates, of the original $5 billion allocated for the PCIP program nationally, about $2.36 billion remains available for the last three quarters of 2013 — enough only to continue coverage for those already enrolled in the pools. The New Mexico Medical Insurance Pool will continue to offer insurance to New Mexicans with pre-existing health conditions through the state-based high-risk pool. The New Mexico Medical Insurance Pool currently serves more than 8,000 New Mexico residents.

For more information, please visit the website at www.nmmip.org or call 1(800) 432-0750.