The creation of high-risk pools does not seem to be having the intended effect on the insurance market. Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar reports,
Government economists had projected that people turned down by private insurers would flock to the new Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan, with 375,000 expected to sign up this year. But as of this week, a little more than 8,000 had enrolled, officials said.
Part of the problem is sticker shock. Premiums vary by state, and can range from $400 to $600 per month or more for people in their 40s and 50s.
Health and Human Services officials said Friday the program will cut premiums by about 20 percent next year, as well as offer a choice among different plans, including one tailored for children only.
What!? You mean just setting up a high-risk pools is not enough to substantially help the medically uninsurable? You’ve got to make the coverage affordable too? You’ve got to spend a lot more money? Who could have guessed? (Oh, yeah, some people did point this out.)
