PENNSYLVANIA, USA — "Yes, it's very possible that COVID-19 would be considered a pre-existing condition by an insurance company," said Jessica Altman, the Insurance Commissioner. "I'm not a medical expert myself, but there is a lot to learn about the long term effects of COVID-19."
Altman is reminding people of the Affordable Care Act or ACA and how it currently protects people with pre-existing conditions.
"The Affordable Care Act prohibits discrimination based on pre-existing conditions. You can't have coverage denied. You won't pay more because you have them," explained Altman during a Zoom interview Tuesday.
ACA-compliant medical plans must also offer COVID-19 testing, treatment, and vaccinations.
"Your insurance company, generally speaking, is required to provide the vaccine and to cover it at no cost to you, the policy holder, and actually, it's really important to highlight, for most commonly used vaccinations, under the Affordable Care Act, the requirement that preventative services like vaccinations and cancer screenings be provided at no cost to the patient," explained Altman.
What happens if the ACA is toppled in court?
Zachary Sherman, executive director of the state's insurance marketplace, Pennie, says not to worry.
"Nothing about the court proceedings related to the ACA should deter you or turn you away from getting covered right now. Those are court proceedings that are ongoing," explained Sherman. "If you enroll in coverage, you will be covered in 2021. If there are adverse impacts because of court proceedings, those will be down the road."
"Right now, we have the ACA," stated Altman. "We're in Pennie's open enrollment period, where anyone can come in and get coverage. Well over 80% of people on Pennie are receiving financial assistance to help pay for coverage, and we're in the middle of the pandemic. Right now, while we have this in place, it's time to get covered and make sure your family is protected."
All current and potential enrollees are encouraged to visit pennie.com to explore coverage options. The multi-lingual Pennie call center can be reached at 1-844-844-8040 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. during Open Enrollment.
The deadline for coverage through 2021 is December 15. If a customer enrolls after December 15, coverage will begin on February 1, 2021.
According to Pennie, there are 12.8 million Pennsylvania residents, 4.7% of whom are uninsured. Officials believe there are 317,000 uninsured eligible for financial assistance.