June 11th, 2010 – Colorado Governor Bill Ritter signed 8 health related bills into law, including a new measure that will require all individual health insurance policies to include coverage for contraception and pregnancy.

The new law takes effect on January 1st, 2011 and shall apply to health insurance policies issued on or after January 1st, 2011.

House Bill 1021, sponsored by Democratic Representatives Jerry Frangas and Beth McCann, requires all insurers to offer contraception and maternity coverage, except for women that wait and buy individual health insurance plans after they are already pregnant.

Colorado women that wait and buy individual health insurance coverage after they are already pregnant will have the pregnancy excluded as a pre-existing condition.  Employer sponsored group health insurance plans can not exclude pregnancy as a pre-existing condition in Colorado.