2009 High Risk Pool Feasibility Study
Background, Analysis, and Recommendations
Individual insurance markets are difficult because - absent a mandate - individuals who buy health insurance have some reason for anticipating they need it. This creates higher costs in the risk pool and less affordable options for younger and healthier individuals. Some policy makers encourage states to facilitate the formation of ways for insurers in the individual market to spread the costs of their sickest enrollees across the entire market - not just the insurer's own pool - so as to encourage lower pricing. The track record of such efforts has been mixed. Under a federal grant, OHIC consultants analyzed the feasibility of such an approach in Rhode Island.
High Risk Pool Feasibility Study
