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Stuck in No Man’s Land

Washington, Apr 21 -

Gambling with your health insurance coverage is a risky move. Unfortunately, under the new high risk pools established by ObamaCare, you will have to do just that if you hope to participate. To qualify for the new pool, you will have to give up your current insurance for six months. Is it really a good idea for people to take a chance on their own health as they float aimlessly around waiting to be insured?  This is a pitfall we shouldn’t force patients to step into.   

• “But some vulnerable patients are probably going to feel a little cheated. Consider this coverage wrinkle: Suppose your cancer is in remission. You had to quit your job while you were having chemotherapy, and your employer coverage ran out. You can't find a private insurer who'll take you, but you're lucky to live in a state that has its own high-risk pool. Still, you have to struggle to pay the premiums, well above standard insurance because sicker people are in the group. Yet as the federal program is designed, you wouldn't be able to switch over and take advantage of significant savings. The reason: You have to be uninsured to qualify for the new plan.”

• “That means some 200,000 patients now enrolled in more than 30 state high-risk insurance pools will be stuck paying higher premiums. Many are on tight budgets, drawing down their savings and borrowing from family members.”

• “But the only way current beneficiaries could get the federal coverage would be to drop out of their state pool and go uninsured for six months. "That would be a very risky thing to do," said Stephen Finan, policy director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. "Can you afford to go without coverage for six months in the hopes of getting a better price? It's a big gamble.’”