Health Care Annual Coverage Waivers Top 1000

The number of waivers issued to organizations that can't meet 2011 annual coverage limits under the federal health care law has grown to more than 1,000.

The Department of Health and Human Services issued 126 of the waivers on Friday, raising the total number to 1,040.

The waivers are usually granted to administrators of health plans that have lower annual coverage limits and are a temporary measure until 2014 when new state health exchange provisions in the federal health law take effect.

Critics of the federal health care law say the number of waivers being issued show that the legislation is flawed. But HHS says the number of waivers has decreased in recent months.