Scared Monkeys Discussion Forum

In June 2010, less than three months after Obamacare was signed into law, Health & Human Services released initial regulations regarding “grandfathering” of insurance plans, defining which types of existing plans could continue to exist without meeting the new law’s standards.

By HHS’s own admission, most of the 17 million people in the individual market would be forced into transitioning to new ACA-compliant plans “sooner rather than later.”

“The 17 million people 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 sooner rather than later,” a press release from the time showed. “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.”