Feds Let Some States Lower Health Coverage

Four states have permission from the federal government to let health insurers provide coverage in dollar amounts that fall well below the figure mandated by the national health law, The New York Times reports.

Without the waivers, said one Obama Administration official, an estimated 2.4 million people in Florida, New Jersey, Ohio, and Tennessee who have so-called “limited-benefit” or “mini-med” coverage through employers would have seen their benefits further decreased or their premiums raised, or both.

Some congressional Republicans say the waivers, which are expected to multiply as more states and insurers seek relief, prove the health law as originally passed is deeply flawed. Defenders say it’s a temporary measure to give all parties time to prepare for 2014, when insurers and employers will be required to eliminate all caps on the dollar value of benefits.