"It's sad that after all the attention on this reprehensible practice, we don't have the entire industry in agreement yet," he said.
[I would say this is because health insurers are for-profit businesses.]
INSURANCE
1,200 people to have canceled healthcare coverage restored
The action comes after Kaiser Permanente and Health Net reach an agreement with a state agency.
By Lisa Girion, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
May 16, 2008
Two of the state's largest health plans agreed Thursday to reinstate coverage to nearly 1,200 patients whose policies were dropped after they incurred high medical expenses.
Under the deal, patients whose insurance was rescinded by Kaiser Permanente or Health Net since 2004 will be allowed to purchase new insurance regardless of preexisting medical conditions.
The state is trying to reach similar deals with Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield and PacifiCare involving about 4,000 rescissions.
Kaiser spokesman Mike Lassiter said the insurer proposed the deal to reinstate up to 1,092 former enrollees -- all those whose coverage the health maintenance organization dropped between the time it began the controversial practice in April 2004 and when it halted rescissions in October 2006.
[]
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-insure16-2008may16,0,7470052,full.story
