In this story by the New York Times’ reporter Robert Pear, he reports that the health plans already are balking about covering children with pre-existing conditions.

The general anger directed at the health plans during the debate about preexisting conditions will pale by comparison because the plans are singling out sick kids—among the most vulnerable patient populations in any nation.

This resistance represents plans’ views of what is best for their bottom lines.

They could hardly have handed fans of a single payer plan a better weapon to use to question their standards and practices.

The New York Times

“Just days after he signed the new health care law, insurance companies are already arguing that, at least for now, they do not have to provide one of the benefits that the president calls a centerpiece of the law: coverage for certain children with pre-existing conditions. (Emphasis added)

“Mr. Obama, speaking at a health care rally in northern Virginia on March 19, said, “Starting this year, insurance companies will be banned forever from denying coverage to children with pre-existing conditions.”

“The authors of the law say they meant to ban all forms of discrimination against children with pre-existing conditions like asthma, diabetes, birth defects, orthopedic problems, leukemia, cystic fibrosis and sickle cell disease. The goal, they say, was to provide those youngsters with access to insurance and to a full range of benefits once they are in a health plan.”

Source: New York Times, March 28, 2010