Health Affairs

Posting date: October 23, 2002

This Article Reprint (PDF) HTML Version Submit a response to this article Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when Comments are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services E-mail this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to My Personal Archive Download to Citation Manager Reprints & Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Chollet, D. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Chollet, D. Related Collections Access To Care Health Reform Insurance Coverage State/Local Issues

Health Affairs, 10.1377/hlthaff.w2.349
Copyright © 2003 by Project HOPE

Web Exclusives

Perspective: Expanding Individual Health Insurance Coverage: Are High-Risk Pools The Answer?

Deborah Chollet ^1*

¹ Deborah Chollet is a senior fellow at Mathematica Policy Research in Washington, D.C.

^*Corresponding author.

Abstract

Thirty states operate high-risk pools intended to offer coverage to persons denied coverage in the individual health insurance market. But in most states the high-risk pool mirrors the individual market's problems: Coverage is expensive, the waiting period for coverage of preexisting conditions is long, and benefits may be limited. A few states with high-risk pools have addressed these problems by adequately funding high enrollment and comprehensive benefits; some also require the market to accept more risk. But most discourage enrollment in the high-risk pool in myriad ways and fail to ensure access to the individual market for persons with health problems.

Key Words: Insurance Coverage, Access To Care, State/Local Issues, Health Reform

                      What's this?