Two programs in President Obama’s health care law were exempted by the White House from any potential cuts under sequestration.

Sequestration will affect neither the Preexisting Conditions Insurance Plan nor the Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan (COOP), the White House report on sequestration noted today.

“Those programs were determined to be exempt,” a senior administration official told reporters — citing a review of the relevant laws — when asked why they were exempted even though they are not part of Medicare or Medicaid.

“The Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan makes health coverage available to you if you are a U.S. citizen or reside here legally, you have been denied health insurance because of a pre-existing condition, and you’ve been uninsured for at least six months,” Healthcare.gov explains.

The COOP is “a new type of non-profit health insurer,” according to the same website. “These insurers are run by their customers. CO-OPs are meant to offer consumer-friendly, affordable health insurance options to individuals and small businesses.”