Insurers to Bail on Child-Only Policies as Health Care Law Looms

NEW YORK (CBS) Parents of kids with preexisting conditions will have fewer options in several states as major insurers are bailing on the practice of selling child-only policies.

The insurance companies' decision apparently comes in response to the federal health care law passed earlier this year, which would have forced them to insure children under age 19 regardless of their medical histories. Sales of child-only policies for some companies will end the day the federal law is enacted, according to a recent Los Angeles Times article.

The paper reports the decision will only affect new coverage sought for children and not to existing child-only plans, family policies or insurance provided through kids' parents' employers.

Anthem Blue Cross, Aetna Inc., UnitedHealth Group Inc., Cigna Corp., are among the companies that plan to halt all or part of their child-only policy sales.

For more on these changes, check out the full Los Angeles Times story, "Big Health Insurers to Stop Selling New Child-Only Policies" here.

What do you think of these planned changes?