Several states are now taking applications for a new high risk health insurance pool. These insurance plans cover people who have been without health insurance for at least six months and have been denied coverage due to a pre-existing condition.

The high risk pool serves as a bridge to the insurance marketplace that will be established in 2014. At that time, insurers will no longer be able to deny coverage or charge higher rates based on pre- existing conditions.

You can learn more about high risk pool options by visiting the Department of Health and Human Services’ new web portal at http://www.healthcare.gov. Simply click on the link titled “New Pre- Existing Condition Insurance Plan,” and then follow the steps to learn about available plans in your state and whether you qualify.

If you don’t qualify for the high risk pool, be sure to explore other coverage options within this same website. It’s an easy process that begins on the homepage. You’ll be asked to answer a few questions before being provided a list of health insurance plans that fit your profile. It even includes the applications.

It’s important to get the word out about this new high risk pool in our rural communities, where rates of uninsured residents are higher than their urban counterparts. Please pass this information along to your friends and colleagues, post it in newsletters and letters to the editor, and raise awareness through community meetings and other events.