Illinois' Director of Insurance Michael McRaith expects the application process for Illinois' expanded "high-risk" health insurance pools to begin next month. Illinois residents rejected by health insurance providers due to "pre-existing conditions" should be ready to take action. As many as 218,000 Illinoisans could be eligible for just 4,000 to 6,000 new slots, which will be awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis.

It's important to remember that the expanded pool, while important, only represents a stop-gap solution to the problem of pre-existing conditions. In 2014, when the federal health care bill is fully implemented, insurance companies will be prohibited from denying insurance to anyone, regardless of their previous medical history. And those that can't afford private insurance on their own will be offered subsidies to purchase a plan offered on the new health insurance exchanges. That should eliminate the need for the existing state-based high-risk pools, which are limited in scope and charge notoriously high premiums.