U.S. Waives Health Insurance Minimums for 1 Million

Oct. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Almost a million workers won’t get aconsumer protection in U.S. health law meant to cap insurancecosts because the government exempted their employers.

Thirty companies and organizations, including Jack in theBox Inc., won’t be required to raise the minimum annual benefitincluded in low-cost health plans often used to cover part-timeor low-wage employees. The Department of Health and HumanServices, which provided a list of exemptions, said it grantedwaivers in late September so workers with such plans wouldn’tlose coverage from employers who might choose instead to droptheir health insurance altogether.