The Washington Post is reporting that President Obama will announce today that he will allow people to keep their health insurance for a year, even if the policy falls short of Obamacare standards.
Under the White House’s approach, the Department of Health and Human Services will notify the nation’s state insurance commissioners that they have federal permission to let consumers who already have such insurance policies to keep them through 2014, according to the Post. It will be up to each state whether to go along.
The Post reported:
"The decision runs counter to a central aim of the law, which was to ensure that all people in the U.S. with private health plans are guaranteed at least certain benefits. According to a source familiar with the White House’s thinking, the administration will insist that insurance companies continuing to sell individual insurance policies that do not comply with those standards alert consumers to potentially better and more affordable insurance available through the new federal and state insurance marketplaces.
"The White House’s strategy differs from a bill on which the House is to vote on Friday, sponsored by Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), which would let new customers buy such meager policies, rather than only allowing existing policy-holders to keep them for an additional year."
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Thursday that despite Obama's impending announcement, House Democrats will also pursue a legislative fix themselves.
In addition to Upton's proposal, two Senate Democrats -- Mary Landrieu (La.) and Mark Udall (Colo.) -- have introduced their own proposals.
The Post reported:
"The decision runs counter to a central aim of the law, which was to ensure that all people in the U.S. with private health plans are guaranteed at least certain benefits. According to a source familiar with the White House’s thinking, the administration will insist that insurance companies continuing to sell individual insurance policies that do not comply with those standards alert consumers to potentially better and more affordable insurance available through the new federal and state insurance marketplaces.
"The White House’s strategy differs from a bill on which the House is to vote on Friday, sponsored by Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), which would let new customers buy such meager policies, rather than only allowing existing policy-holders to keep them for an additional year."
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Thursday that despite Obama's impending announcement, House Democrats will also pursue a legislative fix themselves.
In addition to Upton's proposal, two Senate Democrats -- Mary Landrieu (La.) and Mark Udall (Colo.) -- have introduced their own proposals.
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