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