The Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan is kicking into gear. President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law back in March, which included the creation of the PCIP which makes health insurance available to those who aren’t able to get it because of a pre-existing condition. There are some requirements you must meet in order to be eligible for this government insurance.

• You must have been uninsured for at least six months.
• You must have a pre-existing condition or have been denied health coverage because of your health condition.
• You must be a US citizen or be residing here legally.

This program is only temporary and will only be in affect until 2014 when access to affordable health insurance becomes mandatory. The programs are run differently in each state so you’ll need to research your state’s PCIP. However, funds are limited so many states are offering the program first come first served.

But if you are able to secure a place in the program you will receive benefits such as:

• Coverage for primary, specialty and hospital care as well as prescription drug coverage.
• Fair premiums that aren’t based on your existing condition.
• Premiums that aren’t based on income level.

Roughly two out of three people over the age of 65 will need long term care either at home, through adult day health care or at an assisted living facility. The study, completed by Genworth Financial also found that long-term care isn’t just for the elderly– 40 percent of those receiving it are between the ages of 18 and 64. The study found that while long term care costs are increasing just like other health care costs, the price for in-home care is increasing at a slower rate. The increase over the past five years is 1.7 percent.

While long term care costs continue to rise nationally, the cost for in-home care is rising at a much slower pace. For many Americans, in-home care could even be their most cost-effective choice. “Long term care is not just about nursing homes anymore. Care options have expanded dramatically over the past several years to include a far greater choice of settings that reflect the ways in which individuals prefer to receive care,” Buck Stinson, President, U.S. Life Insurance Products at Genworth, said in a news release.

According to the study, receiving at home care may be more affordable than other options. Five years ago the median rate for a private nursing home room was $60,225 a year. In 2010 that has increased to $75,190. However, rates for a home health aide have increased from $17.50 an hour in 2005 to $19 an hour in 2010. The survey found that Alaska, Minnesota and Rhode Island are the most expensive states for receiving home care. The median hourly rate for an aide there is $25. Compare that to the least expensive states of Alabama and West Virgina where the same services will cost just $15 an hour.

The health care debate is heating up and even though there are lots of angles to argue– no one can deny that insurance is expensive. According to the Commonwealth Fund it’s going to keep increasing. In the past decade the average annual family premium plan doubled in cost, jumping from $6,958 to $13,436. And some say it could double again in the next ten years, reaching a whopping $24,000 by 2020.

Soaring premiums have forced some healthier Americans to forgo insurance coverage altogether. Delaware’s Daily Times says that’s the case for resident Dequilla Hurt who canceled her insurance and won’t have any coverage until her probationary period ends at her new job. They interviewed Hurt for a recent report on the state’s rising health care costs. “I have this window of time where I have no health insurance. If something happens to me, if I go to the emergency room now, the total cost will be on me. Will I be able to afford the cost of an emergency room visit? That worries me,” said Hurt.

A Gallup poll found that the salary you bring in greatly impacts the likelihood of having insurance. Of young adults making more than $48,000 a year, 86 percent have insurance. But of those who bring in half that annually, less than $24,000, only 58 percent spring for a health plan.

Some are pointing to the insurance industry’s lack of competition as the reason why costs are increasing at such a fast rate. In just over a dozen years the industry has experienced more than 400 mergers and the number of choices for consumers has dropped by 20 percent which means fewer options for employers looking for the best deal. The Government Accountability Office says that the five largest providers of small group insurance control 75 percent or more of the market share in 34 states. In fact, one out of every nine Americans has insurance with WellPoint, which is the parent company of Blue Cross Blue Shield and Anthem.

Some say that while insurance companies can carry part of the blame for rising premiums, there are other sectors of the health care industry that are driving up costs for Americans. The Journal Sentinel in Wisconsin talked to a Harvard professor who believes part of the problem lies with consumers themselves. “The primary reason that health care costs and health insurance premiums are rising so rapidly is the amount of health care that we consume,” said Katherine Baicker, a professor of health economics at the Harvard School of Public Health. “Now, that is not to say there are no problems with the insurance industry.”

High deductible insurance plans are presented as the answer to those who cannot afford high insurance premiums. With so many people currently uninsured or who have trouble paying for their health insurance, these high deductible plans seem like the answer.

Everyone knows that going without health insurance is unacceptable so perhaps this is the workable alternative.

Any way to save money on health care costs is worth looking into. Health savings accounts allow you to plan ahead and set aside money that will be spent on health care costs in the coming year.