$2500 Deductable On Home Insurance

Enrollment in high-risk insurance pool has grown rather slowly

`" Title="Tara James was one of the first people to apply for the government's new insurance plan for people with pre-existing conditions. At 37 years old, James has a painful and debilitating form of arthritis. She wears this "bone stimulator" around her neck for four hours a day. <span class='credit'>(David B. Hollingsworth | The Virginian-Pilot)</span>"> `" rel="" title="Tara James was one of the first people to apply for the government's new insurance plan for people with pre-existing conditions. At 37 years old, James has a painful and debilitating form of arthritis. She wears this "bone stimulator" around her neck for four hours a day. <span class='credit'>(David B. Hollingsworth | The Virginian-Pilot)</span>">View all 3 photos |

Good health insurance has been hard to find for Vivian Brown.

Because of her high blood pressure and glucose levels along with a history of back pain, private insurance rates ran $600 a month.

That's difficult for Brown to budget from her income, working as a dental hygienist on a contract basis and selling Italian lamps out of her Chesapeake home.

When she heard about the national health law's new pre-existing condition insurance plan, Brown thought she may have found a solution.

Research showed it was her best option, with a premium around $400. But the $2,500 deductible was a deal-breaker.

"I couldn't afford at that point to go on it," said Brown, who is in her 50s.

One of the first changes brought about by the federal health-care overhaul, the temporary national high-risk insurance pool has grown slowly, with enrollment and spending in the program's first 10 months significantly behind expectations, according to a July report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

But federal officials said they weren't surprised that the plan is taking time to catch on. They've changed it to attract more people, including reducing premiums, making it easier to prove a pre-existing condition and paying referral fees to agents and brokers.

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