"In other words, insurance companies will not be permitted to discriminate against married same-sex couples when offering coverage," Matthew Heinz, the director of LGBT outreach at HHS, wrote in a blog post.
A White House aide said later that the rules update goes further than originally explained. Starting in 2015, insurers also have to be willing to offer coverage for same-sex spouses if a company buying an insurance plan from them is buying coverage for opposite-sex spouses.