Kansas taking insurance applications for those with pre-existing conditions

? Kansas officials are taking applications for a new insurance pool for people with pre-existing conditions who can’t get other insurance coverage.

The state is taking applicants to determine how many people would be interested in using the insurance.

Linda Sheppard, director of the Accident and Health Division of the Kansas Insurance Commission’s office, says applicants will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis.

Sheppard told The Hutchinson News that the board governing the new pool could limit its size, depending on the number of applicants and the cost of providing care.

Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger says the new pool is for people with pre-existing conditions who haven’t been able to get health insurance for six months or more. It’s based on requirements in the new federal health care reform law.