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Feds Issue Patient's Bill of Rights

Obama administration has spelled out details of new insurance protections in a set of regulations it's calling the Patient's Bill of Rights. The interim final rules implement elements of the Affordable Care Act, such as banning pre-existing condition exclusions for children under age 19, banning the practice of insurance rescissions, eliminating lifetime limits on coverage, and restricting annual dollar limits on insurance coverage. The regulations also address patients' right to seeing an ob.gyn. without a referral, and bar insurers from charging higher cost sharing for out of network emergency services. The provisions will apply to most health plans for plan years beginning on or after Sept. 23, 2010, according to the White House. The regulations were issued by the Departments of Health and Human Services; Labor; and Treasury in June.