Members of Congress should put their money where their mouths are and support state insurance programs for residents with health problems.
A coalition of health and benefits groups delivered that message here during a recent briefing on Capitol Hill on the status of federal funding for state high-risk health insurance pools.
The 33 risk pools provide health coverage for individuals with conditions such as cancer or diabetes that make purchasing conventional health insurance difficult.
Program supporters say the programs increase access to health coverage while preserving a reasonably free health insurance market for applicants in good health.