Romney's pre-existing conditions plan questioned

News outlets examine this aspect of GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney's health care policies and report that it would only help a fraction of the country's uninsured.   

The Associated Press: Big Gaps In Romney Plan On Pre-Existing Conditions
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney says he has a plan to help people with pre-existing medical conditions get health insurance. But there's a huge catch: You basically have to be covered in the first place. If you had a significant break in health insurance coverage an insurer still could delve into your medical history, looking for anything -; from a bad back to high blood pressure -; that could foreshadow future claims. They'd be able to turn you down (Alonso-Zaldivar, 10/9).

Bloomberg: Romney's Pre-Existing Conditions Vow Puts 36M At Risk
Health-policy specialists say Romney's plan echoes such protection already in a 1996 U.S. law and doesn't show how it would help at least 36 million sick people at risk of being denied coverage. "It's a complete mystery what he's talking about," said Joe Antos, a health-care economist at the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington policy group. "He's clearly asserting that he's got a new policy, but he hasn't said what it is" (Faler, 10/8).