Interim final rules were published on June 28 implementing various consumer protections under the health insurance reform provisions of the federal health care reform law.  The Departments of HHS, Labor, and Treasury jointly issued the new “patient’s bill of rights” rules, which are effective for most plans beginning on or after September 23, 2010.  Among other matters, the new rules prohibit insurance companies from imposing pre-existing condition exclusions on children under age 19 on or after 9/23/10 (applicable to adults in 2014); ban policy rescissions for unintentional mistakes on an insured’s application; stop insurers from setting lifetime limits on coverage; and restrict the use of annual limits on coverage.  Limits on pre-existing conditions and annual limits will not apply to existing so-called “grandfathered “ plans offering individual coverage, under regulations released on June 14, 2010.