US Health Insurers To Stop Selling Child-Only Policies

[chanel]

Several of the nation's largest health insurers have decided to stop writing new individual policies for children in certain states in advance of a requirement going into effect later this week that youngsters receive coverage regardless of pre-existing conditions.

WellPoint Inc. (WLP: 54.96 ,+0.90 ,+1.66%), the largest U.S. managed-care company by membership, said its Anthem plans will suspend the sale of child-only policies--except in states that require them--as of Sept. 23. That is the date the new U.S. health-care overhaul starts going into effect, including the requirement that prohibits insurers from excluding coverage for pre-existing conditions in children.

Aetna Inc. (AET: 30.53 ,+0.82 ,+2.76%) and Cigna Corp. (CI: 34.94 ,+0.48 ,+1.39%) also confirmed that they will stop writing child-only policies in certain states.

"We have reviewed the rules regarding the provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordability Care Act (PPACA) limiting the application of pre-existing condition exclusions for children under 19," WellPoint said in a statement. "Unfortunately, there remains a great deal of uncertainty as to how the rules will be implemented and what the impacts might be on participating insurers
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FOXBusiness.com - Some US Health Insurers To Stop Selling Child-Only Policies

But what about the children?????