What Are High-Risk Pools?
Even though most Americans get their health insurance through their employer or the employer of a family member (group health insurance), some people do not have access to this type of coverage and buy their own insurance independently. Unlike the group health insurance market, in most states an insurer can turn you down for individual coverage if you have a serious pre-existing medical condition (e.g., cancer, HIV) that would make you uninsurable. States are not required to have an alternative option for medically uninsurable individuals to access coverage, but most do. A high-risk health insurance pool is the most common way to provide individuals access to coverage. In addition, in many states, high-risk pools serve as the guanrateed-issue purchasing option for individuals who wish to exercise federal group-to-individual insurance portability rights. High-risk pools are also available in many states as a purchasing option for individuals who are eligible for the 65 percent federal h
