Employers hoping to avoid penalties under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act are increasingly turning to what some call a "no minimum value plan."

These are group health plans – also often called "skinny" plans – that provide basic medical care, but may not satisfy the 60 percent minimum value threshold under the health care reform law. And despite that, they're perfectly legal, at least for now.

Providing employees with "minimum essential coverage," as mandated by the PPACA, leaves most workers with the impression that their company health plan will include the "10 essential benefits" outlined under the law.