Misunderstanding Could Sway Ruling on Health Reform Law

Some insurance experts say that a potential misunderstanding about the federal health reform law's individual mandate during last month's Supreme Court oral arguments could affect the justices' ruling on the overhaul. During oral arguments, some justices and lawyers appeared to believe that the law would not allow U.S. residents to purchase low-cost insurance plans and still comply with the individual mandate. However, insurance experts note that the law permits individuals to purchase so-called "bronze" plans -- which would be similar to catastrophic coverage policies -- to comply with the individual mandate.

• "Supreme Court Misunderstanding on Health Overhaul?" (Alonso-Zaldivar, AP/U-T San Diego, 4/10).