Health insurers offer to accept all applicants, on condition

The health insurance industry said it will support a national healthcare overhaul that requires them to accept all customers, regardless of pre-existing medical conditions. But in return it wants lawmakers to mandate that everyone buy coverage. Lawmakers have signaled their intent to craft healthcare legislation early in 2009. The new position taken by the insurance industry, which helped sink President Bill Clinton’s plan for universal health coverage in 1994, could ease the way for passage of such legislation.