Recent healthcare provisions unveiled by the Obama administration could ensure that group health insurance plans become - and remain - affordable.

Businesses that reduce benefits, make modest increases to co-payments or significantly amp up premiums will lose their "grandfather" status, according to a recent report by Kaiser Health News. When this happens, employers will be forced to foot new, more expensive insurance rules.

These provisions are aimed at enabling individuals to benefit from recent health reform while maintaining their current coverage. Specific changes that could cost a company its grandfather status include cutting coverage for employees with AIDS or diabetes, decreasing the portion of premiums paid by employers by more than 5 percentage points or increase co-payments by $5 or more, according to the report.

"This seems reasonable, balancing the need for consumer protections with the need to maintain stability in the health insurance marketplace during this transition period leading up to 2014," DeAn Friedholm, director of health reform for Consumers Union, was quoted as saying.

Other healthcare reforms prohibit insurers from dropping or charging increased insurance quotes to consumers with pre-existing health conditions.