States have until tomorrow to decide whether to comply with the federal health care law and create a new high risk pool for those with pre-existing conditions.
“But doesn’t North Carolina already have a high risk pool?” you ask
North Carolina’s high risk pool has a waiting period before people can join and charges premiums 150 percent of standard rates. The federally sponsored pools would require no waiting period and premiums equal to standard rates. Compounding the problem are 1) federal assistance to start these pools would disappear after a year and 2) rules on what services to cover will not be written until after states agree to participate.
North Carolina should reject this and continue on its own.
