By RANDY KREHBIEL World Staff Writer
Published: 12/7/2011  2:06 AM
Last Modified: 12/7/2011  5:02 AM

OKLAHOMA CITY – Individual health insurance for some children should soon be available in Oklahoma again, state insurance department officials say.

In Oklahoma and more than 20 other states, insurers stopped issuing such policies last year after passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, saying the federal reform law would have required them to take all children, including those born with serious medical conditions.

Some states, including California and Kentucky, responded with laws requiring all insurers doing business in the state to offer child-only policies.

Monday, Gov. Mary Fallin signed an emergency change to Oklahoma’s insurance laws allowing insurers to decide at what age they can begin coverage.

Deputy Commissioner of Health and Life Insurance Mike Rhoads said he expects the change to bring insurers back into the market for ages 1-19.

“Insurers remain reluctant to issue policies for children ages zero to 1,” Rhoads said. “Companies have indicated to the Oklahoma Insurance Department that they are prepared to re-enter the market for children ages 1 to 19. We will continue working toward solutions that provide more coverage options for the youngest Oklahomans.”

Rhoads said he expects insurers to begin accepting new applicants early next year.

Child-only policies are purchased primarily for children not eligible for group or government-subsidized insurance.

These are often children whose parents are without employer-provided insurance or who are living with grandparents covered by Medicare.

An estimated 4 percent of Oklahoma children were covered by child-only policies in 2008-2009.

Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20111207_16_A4_OKLAHO851113