A loophole in the Affordable Care Act could make health care unaffordable for many low-wage workers, the Associated Press reports.
Companies can meet their legal obligations by offering policies that would be too expensive for many low-wage workers. For the employee, it's like a mirage — attractive but out of reach.
The company can get off the hook, say corporate consultants and policy experts, but the employee could still face a federal requirement to get health insurance.
Many are expected to remain uninsured, possibly risking fines. That's due to another provision: The law says workers with an offer of "affordable" workplace coverage aren't entitled to new tax credits for private insurance, which could be a better deal for those on the lower rungs of the middle class.
A health care expert suggested loopholes such as this one could have been sorted out had Democrats and the Obama administration followed a more traditional practice and debated the House and Senate versions of the bill in committees.
