High-Risk Pools for People with Preexisting Conditions: A Refresher
<p>During the recent effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), some members of Congress and the Trump administration seemed to experience a certain nostalgia for high-risk pools, which operated in 35 states before the ACA was enacted.</p><p>In a new <em></em><a href="/blog/2017/high-risk-pools-people-preexisting-conditions-refresher-course"><em>To the Point</em> post</a>, the University of Kansas’s Jean Hall says it’s critical to remember how high-risk pools—which concentrate people needing costly medical care into a single health insurance pool—worked in practice. People insured through these pools often had exceptionally high premiums and out-of-pocket expenses. According to Hall, a substantial number of Americans with preexisting conditions might be forced to purchase coverage through a high-risk pool if insurers are allowed to deny coverage in the marketplace. </p>
<p>For more on high-risk pools, check out our <a href="/publications/explainer/2017/mar/essential-facts-about-health-reform-alternatives-high-risk-pools">latest explainer</a>, “Essential Facts About Health Reform Alternatives: High-Risk Pools.”</p>