Some insurers stop writing new coverage for kids

[mrjarrell]

Well, libertarians and others said this would happen when Obamacare was passed and now it has. Insurance companies are going to protect themselves however they can, as they should and it's already starting as they limit policies for children. It will only get worse as we progress down the road to a single payer system, which is what the government really wants to force on everyone.

via AP

WASHINGTON — Some major health insurance companies have stopped issuing certain types of policies for children, an unintended consequence of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul law, state officials said Friday.
Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty said in his state UnitedHealthcare and Blue Cross Blue Shield have stopped issuing new policies that cover children individually. Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland said a couple of local insurers in her state have done likewise.
Starting later this year, the health care overhaul law requires insurers to accept children regardless of medical problems. Insurers are worried that parents will wait until kids get sick to sign them up, saddling the companies with unpredictable costs.
The major types of coverage for children — employer plans and government programs — are not be affected by the disruption. But a subset of policies — those that cover children as individuals — may run into problems. Even so, insurers are not canceling children's coverage already issued, but refusing to write new policies.
Industry officials estimate that children's policies account for 8 percent of single coverage plans sold directly to consumers.
"Our plans are very concerned about this," said Alissa Fox, a top Washington lobbyist for the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. "If the law says that insurers have to take you any time, any place, some people will see that as an opportunity to wait until their children get sick to buy coverage."

More at the source.

 

[ATOMonkey]

Under the new law, I don't see why anyone would buy insurance until they were already sick.

Fixing health insurance is really easy. Too bad no one actually wants to fix it. They just want something for nothing.

 

[Blackhawk2001]

TANSTAAFL

 

[downzero]

This is exactly what would be expected. Fortunately there is no public plan for the uninsured, so hopefully this will be a self-correcting problem.

 

[BtownBlaster]

TANSTAAFL

I believe that should be placed on our currency, our great seal, even our flag. Anything to remind us, as a nation, that nothing is truly free.

 

[Fletch]

TANSTAAFL

I believe that should be placed on our currency, our great seal, even our flag. Anything to remind us, as a nation, that nothing is truly free.

Reps for both of you.

 

[dross]

I disagree that it was an "unintended" consequence. It was always a first step to single payer. The bill is constructed in such a way that the private insurers will simply dwindle and go out of business, leaving only the government option.

It wasn't unintended, it was the foundation of the plan.

 

[ATOMonkey]

I disagree that it was an "unintended" consequence. It was always a first step to single payer. The bill is constructed in such a way that the private insurers will simply dwindle and go out of business, leaving only the government option.

It wasn't unintended, it was the foundation of the plan.

+1 This wasn't done on accident.