Software glitch allows ACA plans with no hospital benefits

A flaw in the federal calculator for certifying that insurance meets the ACA’s “essential health benefits” standards is leading dozens of large employers to offer plans that lack basic benefits such as hospitalization coverage, according to brokers and consultants ("Flaw In Federal Software Lets Employers Offer Plans Without Hospital Benefits, Consultants Say,” Kaiser Health News, Sept. 12, 2014).

The calculator appears to allow companies enrolling workers for 2015 to offer inexpensive, substandard medical insurance while avoiding the Affordable Care Act’s penalties, consumer advocates say.