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Help for uninsured
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Published: January 13, 2009
North Carolinians who've had trouble securing health insurance because of their medical histories have a new option. The N.C. Health Insurance Risk Pool began operating this month and will offer coverage to those rejected, or simply priced out, by regular insurers.
Inclusive Health, as the pool's insurance product is called, is certainly not for everyone. But for those who have had a difficulty finding health insurance because of previous illnesses or injuries, it is certainly worth investigating.
In the current health-insurance environment, many people are out of luck. They don't qualify for an employer-supported health plan, and the individual health-insurance market doesn't work for them, usually because the premiums are way too high. An estimated 1.3 million North Carolinians do not have health insurance.
The General Assembly heard a great many sad stories in 2007 as it considered the legislation that created the risk pool. People told of losing their work-sponsored health care or of working in jobs where coverage is not provided. For some of these people, premiums on individual insurance plans were well beyond their financial reach. In short, they had nowhere to turn, and so they were risking what little they had by going uninsured.
As originally conceived, the plan was expected to cover about 14,000 of the state's most severe cases. But state officials have now told The Associated Press that they foresee as many as 180,000 North Carolinians being eligible. Both figures are 10-year projections.
The risk pool is not government-provided health insurance like Medicaid, Medicare or the state's children's program. Those insured will pay a premium that will be 150 percent or more of the amount they would pay in an individual plan if they were healthy. But for people who, for example, have multiple sclerosis or hemophilia, it may be a godsend.
According to the AP, only 500 North Carolinians have applied for the program since October. That may be because most people are not aware of it.
To qualify, an applicant must be in the United States legally and a resident of North Carolina. Applicants cannot have access to employer-sponsored health insurance either as an employee or covered dependent. And, those who qualify for the State Child Health Insurance Plan, Medicare or Medicaid also are excluded.
No insurance decision is simple, and there are many details that any potential customer should consider before purchasing this policy or any other. Questions can be directed during business hours to Inclusive Health's customer- service line, 866-665-2117.
For those without coverage, it certainly seems to be worth a call.
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