UnitedHealth Group Inc., Aetna Inc. and Humana Inc. plan toretain some benefits created by the U.S. health-care overhaul evenif the Supreme Court strikes down the law. The exception: Thoseinvolving people with pre-existing illness.

Customers of UnitedHealth, the largest U.S. health insurer, cankeep children on plans until age 26, get free preventive care andwon't face lifetime benefit limits, the Minnetonka, Minnesota-basedcompany said yesterday in a statement. The insurer also won'trescind policies except for cases of fraud and will retain asimplified appeals process for denials.

Aetna, the third-largest health insurer by market value, saidtoday it would cover preventive services, let young adults stay ontheir parents' plans and continue outside reviews of coveragedenial appeals. Industrywide implementation of those and otherprovisions of the 2010 health care law has been in doubt as theSupreme Court prepares to rule this month on whether a key measureof the overhaul is constitutional.