Before the Affordable Care Act (ACA) became effective in January 2014, states offered health insurance coverage to individuals through high-risk pools to those who had pre-existing conditions and lacked health insurance. Under the ACA, the need for high-risk pools is much less pressing than it was previously by requiring health insurers to accept all applicants during open enrollment or in special enrollment periods, regardless of medical history. Several states, however, still offer these pools to provide supplemental coverage for some Medicare beneficiaries.
