In an interpretation of the healthcare reform law, HHS officials said insurers could charge higher premiums for children with pre-existing conditions outside open-enrollment periods, as long as state law allows it.
The reform law’s ban on rejecting children with pre-existing conditions was implemented in September. Just before implementation, UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, WellPoint, Cigna and several other major carriers announced they wouldn’t sell new child-only policies because the ban would allow families to buy coverage at the last minute, when children were already ill.
Read the New York Times report on pre-existing conditions.
Read more coverage on pre-existing conditions:
– Three Insurers to Stop Offering New Children’s Policies, Citing Reform Law
– 5 Ways Recent Insurance Changes Will Affect Medical Staffing
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