Thirty-three states operate high-risk pool programs for people who have trouble buying individual health insurance because of their health. Eligibility for these programs varies, as do premiums and covered benefits.
program |
high risk pool web site |
phone |
Georgetown financial assistance guide |
Alabama Health Insurance Plan |
1-800-513-1384 or 334‑833‑5900 |
||
Alaska Comprehensive |
1-888-290-0616 |
AK guide | |
Arkansas Comprehensive |
1-800-285-6477 |
AR guide | |
California Major Risk |
916-324-4695 |
CA guide | |
CoverColorado |
1-877-461-3811 |
CO guide | |
Connecticut Health Reinsurance Association |
1-800-842-0004 |
CT guide | |
Florida (not open for new enrollees) |
none |
850-309-1200 |
FL guide |
Illinois Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan |
1-800-367-6410 or 217‑782‑6333 |
IL guide | |
Indiana Comprehensive |
1-800-552-7921 or 317‑614‑2000 |
IN guide | |
Iowa Comprehensive Health Association |
1-877-793-6880 |
IA guide | |
Kansas Health Insurance Association |
1-800-290-1368 or 620‑792‑1779 |
KS guide | |
Kentucky Access |
1-866-405-6145 |
KY guide | |
Louisiana Health Plan |
1-800-736-0947 |
LA guide | |
Maryland Health Insurance Plan |
1-866-780-7105 |
MD guide | |
Minnesota Comprehensive Health Association |
952-593-9609 |
MN guide | |
Mississippi Comprehensive |
1‑888‑820‑9400 or |
MS guide | |
Missouri Health Insurance Pool |
1-800-821-2231 |
MO guide | |
Montana Comprehensive Health Association |
1-800-447-7828, ext 8537 |
MT guide | |
Nebraska Comprehensive Health Association |
1-800-356-3485 |
NE guide | |
New Hampshire Health Plan |
1‑800‑578‑3272 or |
NH guide | |
New Mexico Medical Insurance Pool |
1-800-432-0750 or 505‑622‑4711 |
NM guide | |
Comprehensive Health |
1-800-737-0016 or 701‑277‑2271 |
ND guide | |
Oklahoma Health Insurance High Risk Pool |
1-800-255-6065, ext. 4767 or 913‑362‑0040 |
OK guide | |
Oregon Medical Insurance Pool |
1-800-542-3104 (local) |
OR guide | |
South Carolina Health Insurance Pool |
none |
1-800-868-2500, ext. 42757 |
SC guide |
South Dakota Risk Pool |
605-773-3148 |
SD guide | |
| Call AccessTN | www.covertn.gov | 1-866-636-0080 | TN guide |
Texas Health Insurance Risk Pool |
1-888-398-3927 |
TX guide | |
Utah Comprehensive Health Insurance Pool |
801-442-5000 |
UT guide | |
Washington State Health Insurance Pool |
1-800-877-5187 |
WA guide | |
West Virginia – AccessWV |
1-866-445-8491 |
WV guide | |
Wisconsin Health Insurance Risk Sharing Plan |
1-800-828-4777 |
WI guide | |
Wyoming Health Insurance Pool |
1-800-442-2376 |
WY guide |
The web addresses on this list have been verified as of July 2008. If you know of any changes or find one of these links to be broken, please let us know by adding a comment to our "News You Can Use" blog/newsletter online.
This list is drawn from our guide, Understanding Private Health Insurance, available in PDF format online. You can download it for free at healthinsuranceinfo.net.
For other guides in our series, Managing Medical Bills: Strategies for Navigating the Healthcare System, also visit our site at www.healthinsuranceinfo.net/nefe/ .
healthinsuranceinfo.net provides authoritative consumer guidance for health insurance, useful to individuals who need health care coverage, as well as social workers, legislators, researchers and doctors' offices. Our expert researchers and consumer advocates have years of experience. Our website, which is a project of Georgetown University's Health Policy Institute, has a wealth of useful information, just visit our home page for the latest at healthinsuranceinfo.net.