Kansas Legislators Hear Health Care Update

A Kansas insurance department official says the agency is working with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas to provide guidance for continuing coverage for some 10,000 policies that previously were canceled under the federal health care law.

Linda Shepherd told a legislative oversight committee Monday that Blue Cross would renew the policies for one year and is working to get them reviewed and in place.

The company’s decision to restore the canceled policies came after President Barack Obama announced that insurers would be allowed to keep offering existing plans for at least another year, even if those plans don’t comply with federal coverage mandates.

At least 4 million Americans received cancellation notices because their plans didn’t meet the requirements of the 2010 health care law championed by Obama.