landmark health care legislation, insurers are already disputing
whether they must cover children with pre-existing medical conditions
starting this year.
The president says yes.
Insurance companies say no.
In recent speeches,
year, insurance companies will be banned forever from denying coverage
to children with pre-existing conditions,” he said at a rally in
But even as their lawyers pore over every comma, the nation’s insurers deny the law says that.
group, agrees that in six months, they must cover pre-existing
conditions for a child whom they choose to enroll. But they say the law
doesn’t require them to offer coverage to a child with pre-existing
conditions — not until 2014, when they will have to guarantee coverage
to everybody.
“Our industry is moving forward with implementing
all of the reforms in a manner that will minimize disruption for the
more than 200 million Americans we serve,” AHIP spokesman
contemplating changes … and we will implement any revisions that are
made.”
Congressional intent?
The debate applies only to those who buy their own
health insurance in the individual market. Those who are covered by an
employer don’t have to worry about being denied for pre-existing
conditions.
“It sounds like the language that was signed into law doesn’t reflect the intent of
With legislation this sprawling, there seems to be no shortage of confusion.
The day after the bill was passed, people were
calling up health plans saying “I have a pre-existing condition. You
can take me now,” recalled Brunner. Meanwhile, employers are peppering
their insurers with questions on which parts of the bill apply to them
and which don’t.
“This is the first of a number of interpretation issues we’re going to be dealing with,” Brunner said.
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(c) 2010, Star Tribune (Minneapolis)
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