WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama's health care law is called the Affordable Care Act, but a glitch could make it unaffordable for many low-wage workers, including employees at big chain restaurants, retail stores and hotels.


Here's the problem:


The law requires medium-sized and large employers to offer what it calls "affordable" coverage or face fines.


But policy experts and corporate consultants say the definition of "affordable" can mean premiums up to 9.5 percent of an employee's income.


And that could be unaffordable for many people making around $20,000 a year or a few thousand more.


Some supporters of the law are disappointed. They say a fix will be needed.


The White House says the worries are overblown. Administration officials say they expect most companies will do the right thing.


Also on HuffPost:






  • Alabama State Capitol (Montgomery, Ala.)


    Pictured on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)




  • Alaska State Capitol (Juneau, Alaska)


    Pictured on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2011. (AP Photo/Chris Miller)




  • Arizona State Capitol (Phoenix)


    Pictured on Friday, April 23, 2010. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)




  • Arkansas State Capitol (Little Rock, Ark.)


    Pictured on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston)




  • California State Capitol (Sacramento, Calif.)


    Pictured on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2006. (Photo by David Paul Morris/Getty Images)




  • Colorado State Capitol (Denver)


    Pictured on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2006. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)




  • Connecticut State Capitol (Hartford, Conn.)


    Pictured on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 1999. (AP Photo/Bob Child)




  • Delaware State Capitol (Dover, Del.)




  • Florida State Capitol (Tallahassee, Fla.)


    Pictured on Monday, Jan. 3, 2011. (AP Photo/John Raoux)




  • Georgia State Capitol (Atlanta)


    Pictured on Tuesday, November 13, 2007. (Photo by Jessica McGowan/Getty Images)




  • Hawaii State Capitol (Honolulu)




  • Idaho State Capitol (Boise, Idaho)


    Pictured on Monday, Jan. 14, 2008. (Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)




  • Illinois State Capitol (Springfield, Ill.)


    Pictured on Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2004. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)




  • Indiana State Capitol (Indianapolis)


    Pictured on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)




  • Iowa State Capitol (Des Moines, Iowa)


    Pictured on Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2011. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)




  • Kansas State Capitol (Topeka, Kan.)


    Pictured on Thursday, April 15, 2010. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)




  • Kentucky State Capitol (Frankfort, Ky.)


    Pictured on Wednesday, April 12, 2006. (AP Photo/James Crisp)




  • Louisiana State Capitol (Baton Rouge, La.)


    Pictured on Monday, Jan. 14, 2008. (Matthew HINTON/AFP/Getty Images)




  • Maine State Capitol (Augusta, Me.)


    Pictured on Monday, Oct. 17, 2011. (AP Photo/Pat Wellenbach)




  • Maryland State House (Annapolis, Md.)


    (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)




  • Massachusetts State House (Boston)


    Pictured on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2007. (Photo by Darren McCollester/Getty Images)




  • Michigan State Capitol (Lansing, Mich.)


    Pictured on Wednesday, April 13, 2011. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)




  • Minnesota State Capitol (St. Paul, Minn.)


    Pictured on Friday, July 1, 2011. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)




  • Mississippi State Capitol (Jackson, Miss.)


    Pictured on Thursday, June 10, 1999. (AP Photo/Rogelio Solis)




  • Missouri State Capitol (Jefferson City, Mo.)


    Pictured on Friday, Oct. 16, 2000. (Photo credit should read ORLIN WAGNER/AFP/Getty Images)




  • Montana State Capitol (Helena, Mont.)




  • Nebraska State Capitol (Lincoln, Neb.)


    Pictured on Wednesday, Nov. 25, 1998. (AP Photo/S.E. McKee)




  • Nevada State Capitol (Carson City, Nev.)




  • New Hampshire State House (Concord, N.H.)


    Pictured on Friday, Dec. 28, 2001. (Todd Warshaw//Pool/Getty Images




  • New Jersey State House (Trenton, N.J.)


    Pictured on Friday, Aug. 13, 2004. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images)




  • New Mexico State Capitol (Santa Fe, N.M.)




  • New York State Capitol (Albany, N.Y.)


    Pictured on Sunday, March 16, 2008. (Photo by Daniel Barry/Getty Images)




  • North Carolina State Capitol (Raleigh, N.C.)


    Pictured in 1930. (AP Photo)




  • North Dakota State Capitol (Bismarck, N.D.)


    Pictured on Thursday, April 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Dale Wetzel)




  • Ohio Statehouse (Columbus, Ohio)


    Pictured on Tuesday, March 8, 2011. (Photo by Mike Munden/Getty Images)




  • Oklahoma State Capitol (Oklahoma City)


    Pictured on Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)




  • Oregon State Capitol (Salem, Ore.)


    Pictured on Friday, May 20, 2011. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, file)




  • Pennsylvania State Capitol (Harrisburg, Pa.)


    Pictured on Thursday, June 28, 2012. (BRIGITTE DUSSEAU/AFP/GettyImages)




  • Rhode Island State House (Providence, R.I.)


    Pictured on Wednesday, Aug. 1, 1945. (AP Photo)




  • South Carolina State House (Columbia, S.C.)


    Pictured on Monday, Jan. 21, 2008. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images)




  • South Dakota State Capitol (Pierre, S.D.)


    Pictured on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012. (AP Photo/Doug Dreyer)




  • Tennessee State Capitol (Nashville, Tenn.)


    Pictured on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 1941. (AP Photo)




  • Texas State Capitol (Austin, Texas)


    Pictured on Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011. (MIRA OBERMAN/AFP/Getty Images)




  • Utah State Capitol (Salt Lake City)


    Pictured on Thursday, March 15, 2001. (GEORGE FREY/AFP/Getty Images)




  • Vermont State House (Montpelier, Vt.)


    Pictured on April 9, 1953. (AP Photo/Francis C. Curtin)




  • Virginia State Capitol (Richmond, Va.)


    Pictured on Wednesday, May 2, 2007. (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images)




  • Washington State Capitol (Olympia, Wash.)


    Pictured on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012. (AP Photo/Rachel La Corte)




  • West Virginia State Capitol (Charleston, W.V.)


    Pictured on July 2, 2010. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)




  • Wisconsin State Capitol (Madison, Wis.)


    Pictured on Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011. (KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images)




  • Wyoming State Capitol (Cheyenne, Wyo.)


    Pictured on Tuesday, March 6, 2001. (Photo by Michael Smith/Newsmakers)