America's health insurers are offering to drop their controversial practice of charging higher premiums to sick people, the Associated Press reported.
In a letter to key senators charged with reforming the U.S. health care system, America's Health Insurance Plans and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association said they are willing to "phase out the practice of varying premiums based on health status in the individual market" if all Americans are required to get coverage.
There are an estimated 48 million uninsured people in the United States, according to the AP. The insurance industry is trying to head off creation of a government insurance plan that could compete with them to provide those people services, the wire service reported.