1.2 million MDers to gain healthcare protection

According to a report out today from FamiliesUSA, nearly 1.2 million non-elderly Marylanders with pre-existing conditions will gain needed protection from health insurance discrimination under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).  That's nearly one out of every four Marylanders under the age of 65 (24.2 percent).

Thanks to the ACA, beginning in 2014 no Marylander (or resident of any other state) can be denied coverage, charged a higher premium, or sold a policy that excludes coverage of important health services simply because of a pre-existing condition. Using historical data about the number of Maryland residents diagnosed with pre-existing conditions, FamiliesUSA was able to estimate the number of individuals at risk of being discriminated against by the health insurance industry. The 1.2 million Marylanders are distributed across the state, including:

• 184,800 in Montgomery County
• 170,900 in Prince George's County
• 167,000 in Baltimore County
• 136,300 in Baltimore City

Furthermore:

• In Allegany and Garrett counties, the share of non-elderly residents with a diagnosed pre-existing condition is 28.8 percent (highest in the state).
• 46.1 percent of adults between 55-64 years of age have been diagnosed with a pre-existing condition that, until the ACA, would have put them at risk of health insurance discrimination.
• Income does not predict likelihood of pre-existing conditions--24.3 percent of Marylanders in households making more than 4x the poverty rate have been so diagnosed.
• The numbers may in fact be much higher, as FamiliesUSA based their estimate on the number of Marylanders currently diagnosed with a pre-existing condition. Many others, particularly those currently without health insurance, may be undiagnosed.

We here at MBTPI are glad that Maryland is at the forefront of the effort to implement the ACA, and will continue to promote policies that meet the needs of all Marylanders, especially those most in need.