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Sebelius Contacts
States Regarding High-Risk Insurance Pools |
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The Wall
Street Journal reported that HHS is asking states if they
wish to participate in the high-risk insurance pools, which will
help adults with pre-exiting conditions obtain coverage until
2014, when insurance exchanges will have been created. On
Friday, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius sent governors and
insurance commissioners some of the rules which will govern the
program.
The AP
(4/2, Werner) reported, "The Obama Administration sought Friday
to show voters concrete benefits from the new healthcare law,
taking steps to provide insurance coverage to people with
pre-existing health conditions." The new law requires the
creation of buying pools "to target uninsured people who can't
get coverage because of health conditions" within 90 days of its
adoption. HHS Secretary Sebelius "wrote to states Friday asking
them to report back by the end of April on how they want to
proceed." Sebelius also told reporters that the "new program
will provide 'immediate relief for potentially millions of
Americans with pre-existing conditions, like diabetes or
high-blood pressure, who have been shut out of the insurance
system.'"
The
New York Times (4/3, Pear) reported that Sebelius said
HHS "was establishing a temporary insurance pool where uninsured
people with medical problems could buy coverage at reduced
rates." Sebelius said the program "would 'help provide
affordable insurance for Americans who have been locked out of
the insurance market.'" She added, "'Beyond the minimum
statutory requirements,'...federal officials will give states a
large degree of discretion in devising their programs."
The
Chicago Sun-Times (4/3, Thomas) also noted that "Sebelius
sent letters to governors and state insurers, laying out the
requirements for these pools and asking states to decide whether
they'll participate." Under these rules, "states have 90 days
from the March 23 signing of the health reform bill to set up a
program to cover people with pre-existing conditions who have
been uninsured for at least six months. If they can't or won't
comply," then HHS "will administer one for them."
Sebelius To Use
Existing State Programs To Create High-Risk Pools.
CQ Weekly (4/5, Adams,
subscription required) reports, "From day one, President Obama
and other proponents of a healthcare overhaul promised to help
people with pre-existing health conditions who find it
difficult, if not impossible, to get insurance coverage."
Therefore, "it is not surprising that providing such coverage is
one of the first parts of the new law to take effect -- and it's
required to happen within the next three months." Yet, "building
a new network of providers throughout the country from
scratch...is virtually impossible within the next 90 days." As a
result, HHS Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius "announced April 2 that
she would seek to build on existing state programs and where
necessary, contract with not-for-profit insurance carriers as a
temporary solution until 2014 when insurance companies will have
to take all comers."
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