HEARING - U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging
HEARING - U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging
HEARING - U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging
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53<br />
-5 -<br />
STATE HIGH RISK POLS FOR LNINSURWAES<br />
We cannot fail to menti<strong>on</strong> that not every<strong>on</strong>e can buy individual insurance<br />
products in the private marketplace. The camiercial health insurance industry<br />
has l<strong>on</strong>g supported legislati<strong>on</strong> to make health insurance available for pers<strong>on</strong>s<br />
c<strong>on</strong>sidered uninsurable in the individual health insurance marketplace. This<br />
legislati<strong>on</strong>, S. 1372, 5.2402, and S. 2403 introducted during the 99th C<strong>on</strong>gress<br />
by Senators Itinz, Kennedy, and Durenberger, respectively, would encourage<br />
states to establish qualified risk pools for uninsurables, incluzing pers<strong>on</strong>s<br />
unable to buy health insurance coverage due to such chr<strong>on</strong>ic health c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s<br />
as diabetes, heart disease and AIDS. The industry expects similar legislati<strong>on</strong><br />
to be introduced again this year.<br />
Several models for an effective risk pool already exist. Ten states<br />
currently have some form of risk pool offering comprehensive major medical<br />
insurance to high risk people. The pool operates like any other private<br />
insurance plan. If the pool experiences losses, those losses are shared by<br />
all the insurers in the state. The pools would be established in the states<br />
and regulated Like other state insurance. The federal legislati<strong>on</strong> simply<br />
establishes minimum standards based <strong>on</strong> the experiences of successful state<br />
pools and ensures a fair distributi<strong>on</strong> of pool losses.<br />
tMst important, the state high risk pool proposals would ensure the<br />
availability of health insurance to all Americans, regardless of health<br />
c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>, with mininun federal regulati<strong>on</strong>, and at no cost to the feceral<br />
treasury .