I believe in freedom.  Should this not also apply to other people or to other businesses?  What about insurance companies?  Should insurance companies not have the right to determine what businesses they want to explore and what services they want to provide?  It would seem to me that it should be up to these insurance companies to determine whether they want to provide insurance to "children" up to age 26 on their parents' policies or whether they wish to include pre-existing conditions in their policies. 

Both of these options appear to me to be of the nature where it sounds great when you say it fast.  I would agree that if a child is on their parents' policy that they should have a way to continue with that same company after they attain their majority without consequence because they were already insured.  I also would welcome a policy that allowed my graduate student child to remain on my policy up to age 26 but if this is not sound from the perspective of the company I deal with I would regard this as their decision.  My choice is to go someplace else or to find a separate policy for my graduate child.

This is not a heartless position.  It is practical.  How could any insurance company insure loss after the fact?  What will this do to the premiums of others who must contribute to the pool for the individual who is only withdrawing without contributing?  I am not saying there cannot be any answer for those with pre-existing conditions.  This is where I believe the states should intercede and if their Constitutions allow, provide a fund for persons who wish to contribute to an insurance policy for pre-existing circumstances that are beyond their ability to pay.   We don't want to leave anyone without affordable medical care.  If states were to contract with insurance companies or self-insure to permit those with pre-existing conditions to seek and gain help I would have no problem at all with the program.   My criticism is that the federal government has no authority to do so and for the federal government to also force organizations into a business detrimental to its own survival helps no one.