Beginning July 1, 2010, patients affected by a SADS condition may be able to obtain insurance under the new “Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan” (PCIP).

 Many of our families have had long-running difficulties obtaining insurance because of pre-existing condition clauses. This provision, along with the earlier-enacted provision allowing for coverage of dependants until the age of 26 on their parents’ plans, is a great step toward better health care insurance options for SADS patients.” - Alice Lara, President & CEO, Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndromes (SADS) Foundation

PCIP offers coverage to uninsured Americans that have been previously denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition and have been uninsured for at least six months. PCIP was created under the Affordable Care Act and serves as a temporary bridge program until 2014, when insurance providers will be barred from denying coverage because of a pre-existing condition.

In order to give states the flexibility to best meet their needs, the Department of Health and Human Services provided states with the option of having the HHS run the program or running it themselves. Twenty one states have elected to have HHS administer the plans, while twenty nine states and the District of Columbia have chosen to run their own programs.