House amendment would loosen employer insurer protections

The latest amendment to the GOP health care bill that's up for a vote today in the House includes a provision that would allow states to obtain waivers from certain ACA regulations that requires they cover 10 kinds of health services, per the WSJ.

• That could include large employer plans, and affect out of pocket caps and lifetime limits.
• Why it matters: The employer insurance market is much, much larger than the individual market. About half of Americans get their health insurance through their employers, and this could make out-of-pocket healthcare costs surge.
• Coverage at stake: Maternity care, prescription drugs, mental health treatment, and hospitalization.
• Consider this: A senior VP at Kaiser Family Foundation said many employers wouldn't take advantage of this amendment since they want to "offer quality benefits to attract employees."