Benzinga: Former CVS Caremark chairman says employer mandate delay only adds confusion to marketplace

NEW YORK — The Obama administration's delay in implementing a key healthcare provision in 2014 only serves to add confusion around the overall package, especially as individuals will still be required to buy health insurance or pay a penalty, Mac Crawford, Crawford Ross partner and former CVS Caremark chairman, told Benzinga Wednesday. 

In the end, it takes one possible insurance marketplace out of play for individuals at least til 2015, he said. 

Crawford didn't speculate as to whether a delay on the individual mandate would follow the employer mandate delay. Implementing the reform with the employer mandate will make it more difficult for individuals. 

Update: A previous version of this article stated Crawford as former CEO of CVS Caremark. The company has informed us he was chairman. We apologize for the error.