DENIAL OF HEALTH-INSURANCE DUE TO PREEXISTING CONDITIONS - HOW WELL DOES ONE HIGH-RISK POOL WORK

This study assesses whether Minnesota's high-risk insurance pool is su ccessful at insuring those denied health insurance coverage because of preexisting medical conditions. Eight hundred and twenty-nine individ uals who had been denied health insurance coverage mere interviewed. A t the time of the survey, 80 percent of the sample had obtained covera ge, 22 percent through the state's high-risk insurance pool. Seventeen percent remained uninsured. Logistic regression was used to identify correlates of remaining uninsured. Younger age and less education were significantly associated with being uninsured versus enrolling in the high-risk pool. Younger age, less education, unemployment, being non- White, and having worse mental health were significantly associated wi th being uninsured versus having non-high-risk pool insurance. Despite the presence of a large high-risk pool in Minnesota, specific groups are identified as being at risk for remaining uninsured after being de nied health insurance.