Enrollment in Oregon ‘High Risk’ Insurance Pool Increases, Raises Doubts About Program ‘Sustainability’

Enrollment in the Oregon Medical Insurance Pool, the state's "high risk" insurance program, increased in the second quarter this year -- up 20% from a year ago -- raising questions about the "sustainability" of the program, the AP/Portland Oregonian reports. The program, one of 28 state-sponsored high risk insurance pools in the nation, covers state residents with preexisting medical conditions who either have been denied coverage by private insurers in the individual market or have lost employer-sponsored health insurance. According to state regulatory findings, some private insurers have doubled or tripled their rejection rates in the individual insurance market in the past two years, which has boosted enrollment in the Oregon Medical Insurance Pool. Rocky King, administrator of the program, said that insurers cannot deny coverage to state residents in employee-sponsored health plans, and as a result, they have rejected more people seeking individual coverage in order to "dodge the rising costs of medical care." In addition, the number of unemployed workers in the Oregon Medical Insurance Pool has more than doubled to more than 1,400 since the end of last year. The state plans to increase premiums for enrollees by about 15% in January, which could "make the coverage unaffordable" to more state residents. Premiums average about $290 per month, although the rates "vary drastically" based on age, the health plan selected and location (AP/Portland Oregonian, 11/2).