A major health insurance provider in Washington state has announced its intention to stop offering child-only health insurance policies. However, the decision has not come without opposition.

Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler says the health insurance company's actions will hurt families. In an effort to get the insurer to reconsider, he has proposed a special open-enrollment period, which he says would reduce risk. During the open-enrollment period, parents could add their children to their individual health insurance plan.

"So far, no other health carrier in Washington state has signaled its intent to leave this market," says Kreidler. "I hope we can expect better from them."

While it may still be true that other health insurers have refrained from implementing similar policies in the state, the same can't be said nationwide. Health insurance companies in Oregon and Colorado have also opted to drop child-only policies.

Some are pointing to recent healthcare regulations for the recent actions of insurers. Under the Affordable Care Act, health insurance companies are not allowed to deny children with pre-existing conditions coverage.

Preventative care is crucial for detecting potentially life-threatening conditions. Many people may have delayed getting treatment or screenings because their family health insurance plan didn't cover the procedure. Under the Affordable Care Act, new health insurance policies will have to cover such screenings.

In light of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is pointing out that mammograms will be one such screening tool covered by health insurers.

"If you or your family enrolled in a new health plan on or after September 23, 2010, that plan will be required to cover recommended preventive services without charging you a copayment or deductible," Sebelius said in a statement. "This includes annual screening mammograms for women starting at age 40."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says more than 191,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006. A woman's risk of getting breast cancer is higher for those that never have children, have a family history of the disease, and being overweight. The CDC recommends women control their weight and get exercise as well as learn their family history of breast cancer to help lower their risk.

Not all medical care facilities have the same philosophy when it comes to caring for patients. A report by the Center for Healthcare Research and Transformation detected regional differences in terms of how often certain procedures were performed.

While the study found unevenness in terms of how often certain procedures were performed, they also found that some procedures were being used less throughout Michigan. This was particularly true for procedures that were "over-utilized."

Center for Healthcare Research and Transformation director Marianne Udow Phillips says much can be gained from understanding regional differences in healthcare.

"Geographic variation has been well-documented nationally and was a significant topic of discussion during the debate on health reform," says Udow Phillips. "Developing a better understanding of variation in the use of health care services could support state and national efforts to improve quality and contain costs in the health care system."

Before getting any procedure done, it's wise for patients to get a second opinion from a medical professional and make sure their group or individual health insurance provider will help cover expenses.