Conservatives are having fun with stories like the following:
Ian Hodge, 62, is one of nearly 13,000 central and eastern Pennsylvanians who will soon need to shop for health insurance because Highmark Inc. is discontinuing their coverage at the end of the year.
Highmark has announced it is withdrawing five of its insurance plans that don’t comply with the Affordable Care Act, key parts of which take effect Jan. 1.
The new regulations, for instance, prohibit insurers from denying coverage to applicants who have pre-existing health problems….
Highmark’s Classic Blue is a guaranteed-issue plan, meaning the Hodges and other customers were not required to inform Highmark of their health status to get coverage. But applicants couldn’t count on coverage for any pre-existing condition for their first 12 months under the plan….
Under the Affordable Care Act, beginning Jan. 1, all insurers must issue policies regardless of an applicant’s health history.
(updated a math error)