New Ohio health insurance pool covers about 330

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- About 330 Ohioans with pre-existing health conditions, such as cancer or diabetes, are getting coverage under a new high-risk insurance pool that began Wednesday, part of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, authorities said.

The number is a bit lower than anticipated but thousands of applications have been requested, and the state still projects about 5,500 getting coverage through the plan, said Carly Glick, spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Insurance.

National enrollment numbers weren't immediately available, said Keith Maley, a spokesman at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The agency hoped to compile the data later this month.

"It's a great day for me," said Cathy Allen, 47, a consultant from Marblehead, Ohio, who is enrolled in the state's high-risk pool.

Allen was diagnosed with systemic lupus, a disease that attacks the immune system, while in college. Despite being free of any inflammations for nearly 20 years, Allen said private insurance companies have denied her coverage.

"It's been incredibly stressful, but now I've got some peace of mind," said Allen, who, under terms of the risk pool, pays a monthly coverage rate of $293, comparable to what someone her age without a pre-existing condition would pay.

Applications to join the high-risk pool became available Aug. 1. Twenty-five applications are pending, and 3,400 applications have been downloaded through a website managed by Medical Mutual of Ohio, a nonprofit insurance company selected by the state to administer the program.

"There's a lot of paperwork, and I think it's taken some time for people to complete it all," said Michael Walker, a vice president at Medical Mutual. "We know there is strong interest, the demand is there and we expect the enrollment numbers to grow."

About 1.3 million Ohioans lack health insurance.

Under the law, high-risk pools are open to people who have been uninsured for at least six months, at a cost similar to what others pay. Applicants also must provide a certified medical record that proves a pre-existing condition.

Medical Mutual offers two benefit plans for the high-risk pool, one with a $1,500 deductible and another with a $2,500 deductible. Monthly rates for nonsmokers are between $100 to $600, depending on the age of the enrollee and the benefits selected. Rates for smokers are a little higher.

Ohio is among 27 states that opted to run their own high-risk insurance pools. The federal government will run risk pools in states that don't set up their own.

The program will be in place until 2014 - when health insurance companies will no longer be allowed to deny coverage to people in poor health.

Obama's health care overhaul sets aside $5 billion for the high-risk pools nationwide, with Ohio getting about $152 million to help pay for part of a monthly insurance premium. Some advocates for the uninsured have expressed concern that the money will run out before 2014, when the law creates new insurance markets, called exchanges.

Other aspects of the new law are scheduled to take effect Sept. 23, including a provision that allows young adults to stay on their parents' health insurance until they turn 26.

Also, insurance companies no longer will be able to place lifetime caps on coverage or deny coverage to children because of pre-existing conditions. The companies also will be required to cover preventive services - such as cancer screenings or flu shots - without charging copays.

Kelly McGivern, president of the Ohio Association of Health Plans, said insurance companies are working to make sure their policies comply. The changes will cause rates to increase, but the trade group hasn't yet calculated what that might be.