By Justin Worsley
The Health Care Reform Bill, which was passed last Sunday, has now approached it's first major obstacle, coverage for children.
The new law would give insurance companies the ability to deny coverage to children who have a pre-existing medical problem. The situation is a double-edged sword, however, because if a child is accepted for coverage or is already covered, an insurance company can not fix their policies to prevent coverage. This protection policy will come into effect later this year.
On Tuesday, it was announced by President Barrack Obama's administration that Health and Human Services Secretary Katleen Sebilus will issue new regulations in order to prevent any loopholes for coverage for children. The Obama administration has continuously claimed the law is interpreted that children can not be denied coverage.
"Parents who are worried about getting coverage for their children with pre-existing conditions now are assured that insurance companies have to give them coverage-this year," Obama said last Saturday to the House of Democrats.
The problem lies in insurance policies purchased for families, which is commonly purchased by the self-employed.
Under law, parent of children who are turned down by an insurer have a fallback plan, giving parents the ability to seek insurance through high-risk insurance pools.
The Health Care Reform Bill will fully kick in in 2014, where insurers will no longer be able to deny insurance coverage for the ill and the government will begin to give tax credits to new insurance markets.
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