The PPACA contains some specific mandates as to what affordable health insurance should look like, in that as of 2014, companies must offer plans in which employees’ contributions are no more than 9.5% of their household incomes. If a company fails on that measure, and employees apply for government assistance through the yet-to-be-built health insurance exchanges, the company will be fined $3,000 per affected employee. (The fine drops to $2,000 after the first 30 employees).

Mercer Analysis:  Study: Many Health Plans Not Affordable

In short, coverage must be cheapened for those presently covered to extend coverage to those who are not covered.

Either way, experts say the level of health coverage would likely degenerate compared with current levels, in order to make the plans cheaper. Particularly if all plans must be affordable, “you’ll probably see the level of coverage going down,” says Umland, with employers making additional, richer coverage available for workers to purchase with aftertax dollars.

So much for Obama’s claim that you can keep your present coverage under his vision for reform.