In The News
Several States Begin Accepting Applications For High-Risk Pools Today.
The Los Angeles Times (7/1, Levey) reports, "The Obama Administration and some state governments will begin accepting applications Thursday for new insurance programs designed to cover people who have been denied insurance because they have preexisting medical conditions." Notably, "these so-called high-risk pools were included in the new healthcare law to provide relief for some of the most desperate uninsured Americans until 2014, when insurance companies will be required to cover everyone regardless of medical history." US "citizens and legal residents who have been without insurance for at least six months and have been denied coverage because they have a preexisting medical condition" are eligible to apply.
According to the AP (7/1, Alonso-Zaldivar), "Prices will vary by state and type of coverage from a low of $140 a month to as much as $900, said Richard Popper, deputy director of a new insurance office at" HHS, called the Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight. Officials explained that the "price range is so wide because premiums will be keyed to standard individual health insurance rates in each state, which can differ dramatically because of medical costs and the scope of coverage. Independent experts estimate premiums will average around $400 to $600 a month," with younger people paying less.
The Wall Street Journal (7/1, Adamy) reports several analysts have said that the $5 billion allocated for the high-risk pools in the healthcare law will be insufficient to cover the total number of Americans who lack coverage because of pre-existing conditions. Popper also said that the pools should cover about 350,000 people, and suggested that HHS may reallocate funds from states which do not use everything, to ones which have a greater need. Jay Angoff, director of the HHS Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, said, "We're going to do our best that it insures as many people as possible."
CNN (7/1, Young) quotes HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius as saying about the program, "For too long, Americans with pre-existing conditions have been locked out of our health insurance market. ... Today, the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan gives them a new option -- the same insurance coverage as a healthy individual if they've been uninsured for at least six months because of a medical condition. This program will provide people the help they need as the nation transitions to a more competitive and fair marketplace in 2014." Meanwhile, Angoff "said the new plan will fill critical gaps and provide immediate relief for families and small businesses."
The San Francisco Chronicle (7/1, Colliver), the Washington Post (7/1, Fears), Florida Today (7/1, Jenks), the Winston-Salem Journal (7/1, Craver) and the Austin American Statesman (7/1, Eaton) also cover the story.