Comment on FR Doc # 2010-11393

Dear Secretary Sebelius: WellPoint Inc. (WellPoint) appreciates the opportunity to respond to the “Interim Final Rules for Group Health Plans and Health Insurance Issuers Relating to Dependent Coverage of Children to Age 26 under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,” published on May 13, 2010. We share the goals of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in ensuring continued access to health insurance coverage for our young adult members and look forward to working with HHS to successfully implement these reforms. WellPoint is the largest publicly traded commercial health benefits company in terms of membership in the United States with 33.8 million medical members at March 31 2010, and 1.1 million Medicare enrollees. WellPoint is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and serves its members as the Blue Cross licensee for California; the Blue Cross and Blue Shield licensee for Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri (excluding 30 counties in the Kansas City area), Nevada, New Hampshire, New York (as Blue Cross Blue Shield in 10 New York City metropolitan counties and as Blue Cross or Blue Cross Blue Shield in selected upstate counties only), Ohio, Virginia (excluding the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.), and Wisconsin; and UniCare Life and Health nationwide. WellPoint appreciates this opportunity to offer our suggestions for implementation of the extension of dependent coverage to children under age 26. Should you have any questions or wish to discuss our comments further, please contact Jennifer Boyer at 202-628-7831 or Jennifer.Boyer@WellPoint.com. Sincerely, Elizabeth P. Hall Vice President, Public Policy