Perfect Example of the "Death Spiral" Insurers Talk About

Facing a sharp rise in costs, Pennsylvania has almost doubled the monthly bill for a state health insurance program for poor people who do not qualify for Medicaid and are on a waiting list for a less costly option. On March 1, the cost of the plan rose to about $600 a month, up from $313 a month, for the roughly 2,400 state residents on the waiting list. The increase comes as Congress is poised to act on a health care overhaul and as the Obama administration has been highly critical of insurance companies for rate increases of 30 percent to 40 percent. State officials said that the program had become a magnet for the sickest people in the state, even as rising unemployment had driven more people to sign up. ... The increase may cause even more people to drop out of the program, he said, leaving mainly the people most in need of costly health care and making the program even more expensive" (Urbina, 3/16).

Not to get too political here but can anybody explain to me how high risk pools are the answer to covering those who can't get insurance because of their health condition?