National enrollment in high risk pools less than expected

In April, the chief actuary for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services predicted that newly created high risk pools would enroll 375,000 Americans this year. However,  After two to three months of operation in most states, only 8,011 people nationwide have enrolled in high-risk insurance pools, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services (Source: “High-Risk Insurance Pools Are Attracting Few,” New York Times, Nov. 4, 2010).

According to the HHS data, as of Nov. 1, 634 Ohioans had enrolled in the state’s high-risk pool, operated for the state by Cleveland-based insurer Medical Mutual of Ohio. Ohio was alloted $152 million in federal funds as one of 27 states that opted to run its own high risk pool, which is expected to cover as many as 6,000 residents until the coverage provisions in the ACA are fully implemented in 2014.

“We want to make sure we get as many people into this program as we can,” Doug Anderson, Ohio Insurance Department’s chief policy officer said last month (Source: “Ohioans put tentative toe in high-risk insurance pool,” (Columbus) Business First, Oct. 18, 2010).

“We’re in the range of where we should be," Anderson added. "We’re still working to try and make sure people who would benefit from this would know about it.”