California Blue Cross Blue Shield Will Not Deny Benefits Retroactively

I saw this in the Wall Street Journal originally, but the original story is from the LA Times. California Blue Cross had been denying claims on patients; claiming they had filled out their form fraudently. Patients and advocates claimed that the application forms were confusing and designed to cause errors. The State intervened, and fined Blue Cross. Now, there is a settlement, and patients with individual insurance will not have that insurance retroactively denied because of "honest" mistakes on an application form.

Although this does not affect individual policy holders in New York, it is still heartening that there is movement afoot on this front. Individual policy holders already pay twice as much, or more, than group policy holders. And claims are often denied for "pre-existing" conditions. Hopefully, more can be done.