California high-risk pool for medically uninsurable helps fewer residents

California is one of 35 states that arranges health coverage for people rejected by commercial companies because they have blemished medical histories. This "medically uninsurable" group accounts for about an eighth of the 5 million Californians who lack health insurance. Most are self-employed, work for companies that don't provide insurance or don't have a job. But California's publicly subsidized high-risk pool has atrophied over the tenure of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger even as the governor put the plight of the uninsured at the top of his political agenda.