Premiums will be lowered for more than 3,500 Californians enrolled in the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Program. It is part of the federal health reform passed last year.
The decreases just approved will range from 8 to 24 percent depending on the person's age and where they live.
A 27-year-old enrollee talked about severely injuring an ankle in a horse riding accident and then being denied coverage for a year after aging out of his mom's insurance program.
"It's kind of scary because, you know, if I have a problem what I am supposed to do? I can't go to the doctor, I can't get the coverage I need. You know, unless it's super important, I'm not going to go to the doctor because I know I can't afford it," said Brian McCarthy, a PCIP subscriber.
This program is a temporary bridge until pre-existing coverage will become even more affordable beginning in 2014.
