OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Regence BlueShield will stop selling new child-only individual insurance policies later this week.
The move, announced Tuesday, comes a week after several provisions of the federal health care overhaul went into effect, including one that prevents insurance companies from excluding children with potentially costly pre-existing conditions.
Several health insurers, including UnitedHealth Group Inc., Aetna Inc. and Humana Inc., had already said they would stop selling new child-only individual insurance policies in other states, although those children can still get coverage through a family plan in the individual market.
Regence BlueShield is the first plan to stop selling child-only plans in Washington state, as of Friday. A spokeswoman for Regence says current plans will not be affected.
