Rep. Admits Dems Knew All Along People Would Lose Their Health Plans

But defends Obamacare anyway

Democrats knew all along that some patients would lose their health insurance plans under the new law, Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) acknowledged on Tuesday.

Although President Obama had vowed repeatedly that, under his signature healthcare initiative, those who like their plans could keep them, millions of patients are reportedly in individual plans that don't meet the law's minimum coverage criteria, forcing them to buy better insurance.

Hoyer, the House minority whip, said Democrats were aware that such a shift was coming. He defended the change by arguing that those patients would ultimately benefit by getting better insurance, many of them at a lower price than they currently pay.

"We knew that there would be some policies that would not qualify, and therefore people would be required to get more extensive coverage," Hoyer said during a press briefing in the Capitol.