They knew that rinky dink policies that didn't cover shit wouldn't pass muster. Nor should they. And in fact, they said as much at the time. So what?
And if you believe all the corporate media whores who are telling you that they didn't say as much back in the day, I have a bridge to sell you in New York City.
The more important question is, why would you assholes support substandard insurance policies that only cover a few things and leave families vulnerable to huge expenses for the kinds of medical problems that folks face every day? Do you think that the financially responsible thing to do, leaving government and employers like me who do their duty and provide health care coverage for their employees on the hook for those expenses? So folks like me who follow the rules and customs get shafted because cheap people are deceived by irresponsible insurance companies and buy a pig in a poke? Is that the conservative responsible thing to do? Why do you defend those sorts of shady practices?
Here are just a few of the instances in which the administration noted that substandard policies which didn't cover anything wouldn't be tolerated.
HHS Press Release, June 2010: "Roughly 42 Million People Insured Through Small Businesses Will Likely Transition From Their Current Plan." A June 2010 press release from the Department of Health and Human Services explicitly stated that some individuals would face changes to their plans, stating "roughly 42 million people insured through small businesses will likely transition from their current plan to one with the new Affordable Care Act protections over the next few years" and that the 17 million "who are covered in the individual health insurance market, where switching of plans and substantial changes in coverage are common, will receive the new protections of the Affordable Care Act." The release further noted that when a plan is not grandfathered in, individuals would still be eligible for the same basic health insurance minimums:
Roughly 40 percent to two-thirds of people in individual market policies normally change plans within a year. In the short run, individuals whose plan changes and is no longer grandfathered will gain access to free preventive services, protections against restricted annual limits, and patient protections such as improved access to emergency rooms. [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 6/14/10]
Sec. Sebelius, June 2010: If Health Plans Significantly Change, "They Lose Their Grandfather Status." On June 14, 2010, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the administration's grandfathering regulations, saying "if health plans significantly raise copayments or deductibles, or significantly reduce benefits, for example just stop covering treatments like HIV/AIDS or cystic fibrosis, they lose their grandfather status." [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
6/14/10]
Interim Final Rule On ACA, June 2010: Administration Estimates Some Plans Will Not Be Grandfathered Due To Regular Turnover In Insurance Markets. The interim final rule published in the Federal Register in June 2010 about the grandfathering rules cited research that showed the individual insurance market regularly saw heavy turnover each year, and that the administration's estimate of the amount of plans that would not be grandfathered was based on the regular turnover rate:
The market for individual insurance is significantly different than that for group coverage. This affects estimates of the proportion of plans that will remain grandfathered until 2014. As mentioned previously, the individual market is a residual market for those who need insurance but do not have group coverage available and do not qualify for public coverage. For many, the market is transitional, providing a bridge between other types of coverage. One study found a high percentage of individual insurance policies began and ended with employer-sponsored coverage. More importantly, coverage on particular policies tends to be for short periods of time. Reliable data are scant, but a variety of studies indicate that between 40 percent and 67 percent of policies are in effect for less than one year. Although data on changes in benefit packages comparable to that for the group market is not readily available, the high turnover rates described here would dominate benefit changes as the chief source of changes in grandfather status. While a substantial fraction of individual policies are in force for less than one year, a small group of individuals maintain their policies over longer time periods. One study found that 17 percent of individuals maintained their policies for more than two years, while another found that nearly 30 percent maintained policies for more than three years. Using these turnover estimates, a reasonable range for the percentage of individual policies that would terminate, and therefore relinquish their grandfather status, is 40 percent to 67 percent. These estimates assume that the policies that terminate are replaced by new individual policies, and that these new policies are not, by definition, grandfathered. [Federal Register, 6/17/10]
NY Times In 2010: Administration Acknowledged That Some "Might Face Significant Changes In The Terms Of Their Coverage." The New York Times reported in June 2010 that the administration acknowledged that some "might face significant changes in the terms of their coverage":
In issuing the rules, the administration said this was just one goal of the legislation, allowing people to "keep their current coverage if they like it." It acknowledged that some people, especially those who work at smaller businesses, might face significant changes in the terms of their coverage, and it said they should be able to "reap the benefits of additional consumer protections."
The law provides a partial exemption for certain health plans in existence on March 23, when Mr. Obama signed the legislation. Under this provision, known as a grandfather clause, plans can lose the exemption if they make significant changes in deductibles, co-payments or benefits.
About half of employer-sponsored health plans will see such changes by the end of 2013, the administration says in an economic analysis of the rules.
The rules allow employers and insurers to increase benefits. But, in a summary of the rules, the administration said, "Plans will lose their grandfather status if they choose to make significant changes that reduce benefits or increase costs to consumers." [The New York Times, 6/14/10]
http://mediamatters.org/research/201...insuran/196652