Last Friday was the comment deadline for the June 28 Affordable Care Act implementing interim final rule governing annual and lifetime limits, pre-existing conditions, rescissions and patient protections. The federal government maintains a website where the public can access such comments. The website appears to be a little overloaded because there are only a few comments posted on the age 26 dependent coverage regulation but 400 posted on the grandfathered plan rule — the vast majority of which appear to be in support of the American Chiropractic Association’s comments. But of course we all know that democracy is messy.

Here are interesting comments on the age 26 dependent coverage rule submitted by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Wellpoint, Aetna, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the National Business Group on Health. Hewitt Associates, the benefit consulting firm, have posted on their own web site the comments which that firm submitted on the June 28 regulations.

Business Insurance reported on a United Benefit Advisors health plan survey finding that enrollment in health maintenance organizations has been growing faster than enrollment in consumer driven plans. “Preferred provider organization plans have nearly two-thirds of all enrolled employees, growing to 65.7% this year from 63.9% last year.” FEHB Program enrollment similarly is concentrated in PPO plans.