CMS extends high-risk pools through January

The Obama administration announced today a one-month extension of the temporary Affordable Care Act high-risk pool program, known as the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan.

The program, which provides coverage to about 135,000 people with high-need medical conditions, was supposed to sunset at the end of the year, but has now been extended for those who have not yet obtained new coverage because of the early enrollment problems across the country.

“Today, as part of our efforts to smooth the transition to the Marketplaces for those seeking coverage that begins in January, we are taking steps to ensure that Americans enrolled in the federal PCIP insurance plan will not face a lapse when the new year begins,” CMS spokesman Aaron Albright said in a statement. “We are committed to providing consumers additional flexibilities while they evaluate and select a quality, affordable, health plan that meets their needs.”

Some states running high-risk pools that predate the Affordable Care Act have taken similar steps to extend those health plans.