The pension agency stepped in to pay basic benefits to the plant's retirees.

The policies that must be made available provide basic benefits but do not cover prescription drugs.

But it provides only basic benefits, covering no more than five days in a hospital per year.

And government would set the prices that doctors charge patients who use insurance to pay for these basic benefits.

A new tax on employers who do not provide basic benefits for employees would pay for much of the rest.

However, many states add money to the basic benefit.

The two most basic benefits are income support and unemployment benefit.

Under the plan, all employers would either have to provide basic benefits or pay a 7 percent payroll tax to help finance a public program.

But everyone would receive the same basic benefits, defined by the Federal Government.

So this will provide a basic benefit for millions of European citizens.