A majority of Americans – nearly 60 percent according to the U.S. Census Bureau – get employer-sponsored health coverage under group health insurance. Another 27 percent of the population is covered by government-sponsored health care – through Medicare, Medicaid, children's health care programs (CHIP), military health care, and various state programs for low-income populations.
Those left over are the self-employed or those working for very small companies that don't provide health insurance benefits. If that describes you, you must directly purchase coverage directly through private health insurance companies.
If you and your family have always been healthy, you should be able to do a quick online search for health insurance quotes and then choose from the variety of plans and benefits available in your state. However, if you've already been treated for a medical condition, or have a history of certain high-risk factors, you may be unable to find a health insurance company that will offer you comprehensive health insurance at any price.
According to a 2007 report by United Health Foundation, 15.9 percent of all Americans were uninsured. State-sponsored risk pools are aimed at helping a small slice of those Americans: those who can afford to buy health insurance, but who are denied affordable health insurance coverage by insurance carriers because of a pre-existing medical condition.
Risk pools – started in Minnesota back in 1976 – created pools from individuals denied coverage by private insurance companies, then provide state-sponsored health insurance plans these individuals can buy into – albeit at a higher cost than if they were able to qualify for a private plan. Prior to passage of health reform, 34 states offered some form of risk pool, and these risk pools covered about 183,000 people.
At their core, risk pools are state-created, nonprofit associations that – in most states – do not require tax dollars for their operational purposes. A risk pool can be a temporary stopping point for individuals who are denied health coverage – or for individuals who need to fill a gap in insurance coverage.
Some risk pools have done an excellent job of providing alternatives for their citizens, while others have done very little because their health insurance plans are not designed well, or are not funded properly by their states – or they were simply unaffordable. The risk pools created by the Affordable Care Act are intended to remedy these shortcomings.
State risk pools and where to contact them
Alabama Health Insurance Plan
Toll-free 1-800-513-1384 or (334) 353-8924
Alaska Comprehensive Health Insurance Association
Toll-free 1-888-290-0616
Arkansas Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan
Toll-free 1-800-285-6477
California Major Risk Medical Insurance Program
Toll-free 1-800-289-6574 or (916) 324-4695
CoverColorado
(303) 863-1960 or toll-free 1-866-787-9129 (M-F 8am–5pm)
Connecticut Health Reinsurance Association
Toll-free 1-800-842-0004 (M-F 9am-4pm EST)
Florida Comprehensive Health Association (closed to new enrollees since 1991)
(850) 309-1200
Idaho Individual High Risk Reinsurance Pool
(link is to a PDF on program)
Toll-free 1-800-721-3272 (In-state only)
Illinois Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan
Toll-free 1-866-851-2751 (in-state only) or (217) 782-6333
Indiana Comprehensive Health Association (click "guest" for access, then choose "ICHIA")
Toll-free 1-800-552-7921 or (317) 614-2000
Health Insurance Plan of Iowa
Toll-free 1-877-793-6880 (M-F 8am-5pm CST)
Kansas Health Insurance Association
Toll-free 1-800-362-9290 (M-F 8am-5pm)
Kentucky Access
Toll-free 1-866-405-6145
Louisiana Health Plan
Toll-free 1-800-736-0947 or (504) 926-6245
Maryland Health Insurance Plan
Toll-free 1-888-444-9016 (M-F 8am-5pm)
Minnesota Comprehensive Health Association
Toll-free 1-866-894-8053
Mississippi Comprehensive Health Insurance Risk Pool
Toll-free 1-888-820-9400
Montana Comprehensive Health Association
Toll-free 1-800-447-7828
Nebraska Comprehensive Health Insurance Pool
(402) 343-3574 or toll-free 1-877-348-4304 (M-F 8am-4:30pm)
New Hampshire Health Plan
Toll-free 1-877-888-6447
New Mexico Medical Insurance Pool
(505) 622-4711
North Carolina Health Insurance Risk Pool (NCHIRP)
Toll-free 1-866-665-2117
Comprehensive Health Association of North Dakota (North Dakota health insurance risk pool)
Toll-free 1-800-737-0016 or (701) 277-2271
Oklahoma Health Insurance High Risk Pool
Toll-free 1-877-885-3717
Oregon Medical Insurance Pool
Toll-free 1-800-848-7280 or (503) 225-6620 (M-F 8am-5pm)
South Carolina Health Insurance Pool
Toll-free Phone 1-800-868-2500, ext. 42757, or 1-803-788-0500, ext. 42757
South Dakota Risk Pool
605-773-3148 (ask for a Risk Pool representative)
Tennessee's Tenncare Program
1-888-486-9355
Texas Health Insurance Risk Pool
1-888-398-3927
Utah Comprehensive Health Insurance Pool
Toll-free 1-800-705-9173 or (801) 442-6660
Washington State Health Insurance Pool
Toll-free 1-800-877-5187
West Virginia Health Insurance Plan
1-866-445-8491
Wisconsin Health Insurance Risk Sharing Plan
Toll-free 1-800-828-4777
Wyoming Health Insurance Pool (scroll down)
(307) 634-1393
Those left over are the self-employed or those working for very small companies that don't provide health insurance benefits. If that describes you, you must directly purchase coverage directly through private health insurance companies.
If you and your family have always been healthy, you should be able to do a quick online search for health insurance quotes and then choose from the variety of plans and benefits available in your state. However, if you've already been treated for a medical condition, or have a history of certain high-risk factors, you may be unable to find a health insurance company that will offer you comprehensive health insurance at any price.
According to a 2007 report by United Health Foundation, 15.9 percent of all Americans were uninsured. State-sponsored risk pools are aimed at helping a small slice of those Americans: those who can afford to buy health insurance, but who are denied affordable health insurance coverage by insurance carriers because of a pre-existing medical condition.
Risk pools – started in Minnesota back in 1976 – created pools from individuals denied coverage by private insurance companies, then provide state-sponsored health insurance plans these individuals can buy into – albeit at a higher cost than if they were able to qualify for a private plan. Prior to passage of health reform, 34 states offered some form of risk pool, and these risk pools covered about 183,000 people.
At their core, risk pools are state-created, nonprofit associations that – in most states – do not require tax dollars for their operational purposes. A risk pool can be a temporary stopping point for individuals who are denied health coverage – or for individuals who need to fill a gap in insurance coverage.
Some risk pools have done an excellent job of providing alternatives for their citizens, while others have done very little because their health insurance plans are not designed well, or are not funded properly by their states – or they were simply unaffordable. The risk pools created by the Affordable Care Act are intended to remedy these shortcomings.
State risk pools and where to contact them
Alabama Health Insurance Plan
Toll-free 1-800-513-1384 or (334) 353-8924
Alaska Comprehensive Health Insurance Association
Toll-free 1-888-290-0616
Arkansas Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan
Toll-free 1-800-285-6477
California Major Risk Medical Insurance Program
Toll-free 1-800-289-6574 or (916) 324-4695
CoverColorado
(303) 863-1960 or toll-free 1-866-787-9129 (M-F 8am–5pm)
Connecticut Health Reinsurance Association
Toll-free 1-800-842-0004 (M-F 9am-4pm EST)
Florida Comprehensive Health Association (closed to new enrollees since 1991)
(850) 309-1200
Idaho Individual High Risk Reinsurance Pool
(link is to a PDF on program)
Toll-free 1-800-721-3272 (In-state only)
Illinois Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan
Toll-free 1-866-851-2751 (in-state only) or (217) 782-6333
Indiana Comprehensive Health Association (click "guest" for access, then choose "ICHIA")
Toll-free 1-800-552-7921 or (317) 614-2000
Health Insurance Plan of Iowa
Toll-free 1-877-793-6880 (M-F 8am-5pm CST)
Kansas Health Insurance Association
Toll-free 1-800-362-9290 (M-F 8am-5pm)
Kentucky Access
Toll-free 1-866-405-6145
Louisiana Health Plan
Toll-free 1-800-736-0947 or (504) 926-6245
Maryland Health Insurance Plan
Toll-free 1-888-444-9016 (M-F 8am-5pm)
Minnesota Comprehensive Health Association
Toll-free 1-866-894-8053
Mississippi Comprehensive Health Insurance Risk Pool
Toll-free 1-888-820-9400
Montana Comprehensive Health Association
Toll-free 1-800-447-7828
Nebraska Comprehensive Health Insurance Pool
(402) 343-3574 or toll-free 1-877-348-4304 (M-F 8am-4:30pm)
New Hampshire Health Plan
Toll-free 1-877-888-6447
New Mexico Medical Insurance Pool
(505) 622-4711
North Carolina Health Insurance Risk Pool (NCHIRP)
Toll-free 1-866-665-2117
Comprehensive Health Association of North Dakota (North Dakota health insurance risk pool)
Toll-free 1-800-737-0016 or (701) 277-2271
Oklahoma Health Insurance High Risk Pool
Toll-free 1-877-885-3717
Oregon Medical Insurance Pool
Toll-free 1-800-848-7280 or (503) 225-6620 (M-F 8am-5pm)
South Carolina Health Insurance Pool
Toll-free Phone 1-800-868-2500, ext. 42757, or 1-803-788-0500, ext. 42757
South Dakota Risk Pool
605-773-3148 (ask for a Risk Pool representative)
Tennessee's Tenncare Program
1-888-486-9355
Texas Health Insurance Risk Pool
1-888-398-3927
Utah Comprehensive Health Insurance Pool
Toll-free 1-800-705-9173 or (801) 442-6660
Washington State Health Insurance Pool
Toll-free 1-800-877-5187
West Virginia Health Insurance Plan
1-866-445-8491
Wisconsin Health Insurance Risk Sharing Plan
Toll-free 1-800-828-4777
Wyoming Health Insurance Pool (scroll down)
(307) 634-1393