Consumers in high-risk pools can sign up for plans until June 30

The federal program that provided coverage for people with chronic health problems, which often prevented them from being able to buy private insurance, is shutting at the end of the month, but participants can buy coverage through the exchanges until the end of June.

The Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire: Insurance Program For Those With Pre-Existing Ailments To End
The Obama administration said there will be no further extensions of the federal health-insurance program for people with pre-existing health conditions, and it will close Wednesday, April 30 (Radnofsky, 4/24).

The Hill: ObamaCare Enrollment Extended Again
Sick patients who obtained health coverage through ObamaCare's federal high-risk pool will have until June 30 to select a plan at HealthCare.gov, the Obama administration said Thursday. The special enrollment period applies to patients in the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP), a temporary, federal program designed to provide coverage to people insurers had turned away (Viebeck, 4/24).

Kaiser Health News: Capsules: Consumers In Federal High-Risk Pools Get Special Enrollment Option For Marketplace
PCIP, which was started by the health law in 2010, has helped people with pre-existing conditions obtain health coverage. These consumers in the past were often turned away by commercial insurers. The program is now being discontinued because under health law rules that went into effect Jan. 1, insurers can no longer deny coverage based on an individual's medical record (Carey, 4/25).