Local News

High-Risk Health Insurance Pool Urged

The North Carolina Health and Wellness Trust Fund Commission on Thursday approved spending up to $5 million to establish a high-risk health insurance pool that is under consideration by state lawmakers.

Posted Updated

RALEIGH, N.C. — The North Carolina Health and Wellness Trust Fund Commission on Thursday approved spending up to $5 million to establish a high-risk health insurance pool that is under consideration by state lawmakers.

A high-risk pool would provide access to health insurance for people with serious health conditions that are often debilitating. These patients are many times deemed uninsurable or are unable to afford health insurance because of their pre-existing conditions or lifetime policy limits.

“A high-risk insurance pool provides an opportunity for the sickest of the sick to get access to the health services they need,” Lt. Gov. Bev Perdue said in a statement. “The high-risk pool, along with our efforts to expand children’s health insurance this session, are important steps to help the uninsured in North Carolina.”

Thirty-four other states already have high-risk health insurance pools.

Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.