Kentucky Fried Insurance

Here in the Bluegrass State, health insurers stopped issuing child-only policies in response to the new health care law provisions that took effect in September that prevents insurers from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions.  Kentucky's Insurance Commissioner has put an end to that noise quickly.

Kentucky Insurance Commissioner Sharon Clark has ordered all individual health insurers selling in Kentucky to offer an open enrollment period in January for Kentuckians younger than 19, effectively requiring balking insurers to resume sales of "child-only" policies.

The state Public Protection Cabinet had ordered the change as a result of an Oct. 13 hearing in which insurers were asked to explain why they stopped writing "child-only" policies Sept. 23. That was the date when the companies no longer could deny coverage because of a pre-existing health condition under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

The state insurance department said the decision by insurers to stop offering such policies was a violation of state law and discriminated against those younger than 19 who need individual health insurance.

Clark said Thursday she was concerned that families needing a "child-only" policy would be forced into the Kentucky Access high-risk pool.

Thursday's order makes annual open enrollment available each January beginning in 2011 and running through 2013. Federal health care reform will prohibit insurers from denying coverage, regardless of health status, in 2014.

And forcing all kids with medical conditions into expensive high-risk insurance plans would of course be bad for the families, the kids, and the state of Kentucky having to foot the bill.  The state did the right thing here.  More states will follow Kentucky's lead (and how many times do I get to type THOSE words?)