WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican-controlled House has passed a bill that would let health insurers continue to sell any individual policy that was available on Jan. 1, 2013, in 2014, even if the policy fails to meet Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) standards.
The vote on the bill, H.R. 3350, was 261-157.
The Republicans managed to get 39 Democrats to vote for the bill.
Four Republicans crossed party lines to vote against the bill.
GOP lawmakers said the grandfathering expansion bill would ease the plight of millions of consumers reeling from cancellation notices.
The White House said President Obama would veto the bill if it reaches his desk.
The vote came Friday as Obama was preparing to meet in the White House with insurance company chief executive officers.
Obama announced Thursday that his administration would try to ease the plight of individuals affected by policy cancellations by refraining from any efforts to impose the new PPACA coverage requirements on insurers that let individual or small-group policies that were in force on Oct. 1, 2013, stay in force in 2014.
H.R. 3350 is broader, because it would give insurers the ability to sell non-compliant plans to new customers as well as to keep them in place for existing customers.