(Newser)
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Elements of President Obama's health care law will survive regardless of the Supreme Court's decision. The nation's biggest health insurer, UnitedHealthcare—which covers some 9 million people—plans to maintain several sections of the law's "Patient's Bill of Rights": It will continue to offer preventive care without any copay, won't set lifetime limits for payouts, and won't drop coverage when someone gets sick. Young people will remain able to stay on their parents' plans up to age 26, and a simplified appeals process will stay in place, the Washington Post reports.
"The protections we are voluntarily extending are good for people’s health, promote broader access to quality care, and contribute to helping control rising health care costs," says UnitedHealth's CEO. The plan is being announced now in order to quell "uncertainty" surrounding the law, says a rep. Under the firm's rules, employers and individuals would be allowed to reject birth control and sterilization services for people on the plan. But some "Bill of Rights" measures won't be continued; the company won't ban annual payout limits or the denial of kids' coverage over preexisting conditions.
