Experience Has Taught Us That High-Risk Pools Do Not Serve Consumers Well

Lynda Flowers, AARP Public Policy Institute

Claire Noel-Miller, AARP Public Policy Institute

Published July 29, 2016

Recent health reform proposals would allow insurance companies in the individual market to—once again—consider people’s health when deciding whether to sell them coverage. Individuals denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition would likely rely on high-risk pools to access health insurance. In their latest report, PPI’s Lynda Flowers and Claire Noel-Miller describe high-risk pools and highlight their limitations: they were very expensive, they tended to charge high premiums and deductibles, they typically offered limited coverage, and they were not adequately funded—resulting in very low enrollment.

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Experience Has Taught Us That High-Risk Pools Do Not Serve Consumers Well

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