The Health Care Reform - "The Uninsurables"

The question of how to provide insurance for people who are being currently turned down by insurance companies is a question the Democratic lawmakers are trying to solve in their new health care proposals. One of the options how to insure people during the period between now and when the new legislation that includes a clause prohibiting insurers from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions comes into effect in 2013 is to provide coverage through a high-risk pool that would immediately start insuring. However, the patient applying would have to be uninsured for six months to qualify which could be a too long wait for patients with serious conditions. Such a pool has been proposed in September by president Obama during his speech in Congress. In addition to the six-month wait an issue of financing has been raised as well. For such high-risk pool $5 billion were set aside which some say is not enough. The House of Representatives’ does not include the 6 month waiting period but the budget is the same. Several say concerns about the financing are valid; in the words of Thomas Buchmueller, a professor at University of Michigan: "It would seem that ($5 billion) is going to be small relative to the need."

by Lucie

Source: CNS News November 5, 2009