Florida Governor’s Task Force Considers State-Run High-Risk Pool

Creating a state-run high-risk insurance pool in Florida for people who have pre-existing medical conditions and do not qualify for traditional private health insurance would "create a ripple effect through the rest of the insurance market," possibly lowering private health insurance premiums by about 6%, health experts said at a Wednesday hearing of the Governor's Task Force on Access to Affordable Health Insurance, the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel reports. M. Michelle Robleto, executive director of the Florida Comprehensive Health Association, said that about 20,000 Floridians have severe health problems that mean they do not qualify for or cannot afford private health insurance. A high-risk insurance pool, which would allow them to purchase insurance at about double the standard premium, would remove from the traditional health insurance market people with serious medical conditions (McVicar, Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, 12/18). A state-run high-risk insurance pool already exists in Florida, but it has been closed to new members since 1991 because of concerns about the program's rising cost. A new pool could provide health coverage to 116,000 people, including some healthier individuals. Members of the pool would pay about $4,000 or more annually for coverage, the Miami Herald reports. However, it is unclear where funds for the new insurance pool would come from, as private insurers are hesitant to fund it, and the state Legislature is reluctant to allocate general revenue funds for such a program, according to the Herald (Dorschner, Miami Herald, 12/18).