Recent changes to health care laws prevent insurance companies from denying coverage to kids with pre-existing health conditions.
On Monday, the state issued a warning that the deadline to sign up kids with pre-existing conditions is March 1st. If you enroll after that, you'll have to pay more. Regulations in California force insurers to go beyond what Congress approved under the Obama health plan.
"If you choose to avoid writing insurance for kids at all in California, then you'll suffer the penalty of being prohibited from writing any health insurance in the individual market here, and that provision according to published reports led insurers to be sure they were in fact covering kids in California," said Assemblyman Mike Feuer, D-Los Angeles.
Another provision requires health insurers charge those with pre-existing conditions no more than twice what they charge for insuring healthy kids.
