As KPCC reports, the GOP health care bill that cleared the House yesterday “would give states the option of setting up high-risk pools to help pay for the care of their sickest residents. California has had experience with high-risk pools, and it was largely negative.”
Why? It has expensive premiums, restricted enrollment, and an annual cap of $75,000. That annual cap is shocking low for a program that is designed to treat people with chronic, terminal, or complicated conditions. The GOP amendment to add a $8 billion for the high risk pools is not enough: it is next to nothing when spread out over time and number of people who would need it.
Kaiser Family Foundation has a great video explaining high risk pools in its “Sounds Like a Good Idea” series
