Health plans will lobby lawmakers and regulators over the August recess for greater flexibility to avoid some provisions of the healthcare reform law. An internal memo to members of America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) obtained by The Hill offers health plans three suggestions for "strengthening and clarifying" regulations regarding grandfathered plans. Or in other words: ways to remain exempt from key reforms. The Congressional Research Service has said individual and group health insurance plans in existence before the law was signed on March 23 "are exempt from the vast majority of the new insurance reforms," including cost-sharing restrictions, minimum benefits and federal claims denial standards.
