Insurance Industry Already Finding Loopholes

The new health care reform bill has barely been signed into law and already insurance companies are finding ways to avoid providing one of its centerpiece benefits touted by President Obama: coverage for children with pre-existing conditions. Congress meant to stop insurance companies from discriminating against children with chronic diseases like asthma, diabetes, birth defects and cystic fibrosis, and the law does say that if a company sells a a health insurance policy, it has to cover these kinds of pre-existing conditions for children. But now companies are arguing that they don't have to sell the policies in the first place -- at least not until 2014 -- and if they do, they can hike the premiums to whatever amount they need to cover the additional costs. John D. Rockefeller IV (D-West Virginia) said, "The ink has not yet dried on the health care reform bill, and already some deplorable health insurance companies are trying to duck away from covering children with pre-existing conditions. This is outrageous.” UPDATE:On March 31, Karen Ignagni, President and CEO of Americas Health Insurance Plans announced that the industry will "fully comply" with the regulations within weeks.