WASHINGTON — A study by a national consumer health group said 627,000 Kansas residents will benefit from the new protections under the Affordable Care Act. That includes more than 33,000 people in Douglas and Miami counties, said Families USA’s executive director, Ron Pollack. The act prevents health-insurance companies from denying people coverage based on pre-existing conditions, he said. Nor will insurance companies be able charge higher premiums or sell policies that exclude coverage of needed services, he said. The protections begin in January 2014, but children with pre-existing conditions already are protected through the federal law, he said. Nor can insurance companies cancel coverage because of illnesses, he said.
Friday, July 28, 1 p.m.
