Low health insurance caps leave patients stranded

Although insurers set lifetime limits to keep rates low on some policies, holders are learning that individual caps quickly max out as healthcare costs soar. Several patient advocacy groups are prodding insurers to raise the caps, and Congress also is considering two bills that would do that. Insurers say most health coverage already offers either a comfortable maximum of several million dollars or unlimited coverage. They add that more government regulation could lead to higher coverage costs, and low lifetime caps help them offer a greater variety of coverages.