wisconsin's high risk health ins. pool

[maddythebeagle]

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=327716

interesting article:

- In the 5 years since 2000, the number in the pool has nearly doubled.

- "There's not a private insurer out there who will take you if you have diabetes or cancer or a history of heart disease," said Kitzman of AIS Group.

- There is not good data on the number of people denied coverage in the individual market. The General Accounting Office reportedly estimated that people with severe chronic health problems were rejected about 30% of the time.

- People with a history of mental health problems faced the greatest obstacles: They were rejected 52% of the time.

Even with the subsidies, the insurance can be costly. The premiums vary by age, sex and location. A boy or girl under the age of 18 who lives in Milwaukee, for instance, would pay $1,776 a year. But a man between the ages of 60 and 64 would pay $12,084 a year for insurance with the lowest deductible .