The House Just Voted To Relax Protections For Preexisting Conditions. What Does That Mean?
An amendment to add an additional $8 billion to help pay for high-risk pools for any state looking for exemptions to preexisting condition coverage swayed enough lawmakers to secure passage of the legislation, but experts say that not nearly enough money is allocated to fund health care for the sickest Americans.
The Associated Press:
Pre-Existing Conditions And The Health Plan: Who's Covered?
States will be able to get federal waivers allowing insurers to charge higher premiums to people with pre-existing illnesses who have let their coverage lapse. States can then use federal money to fund government-operated insurance programs for expensive patients called "high-risk pools." (5/4)
USA Today:
Experts: Pre-Existing Coverage In House GOP Bill Would Fall Far Short
The $23 billion included in the House Republican plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to pay for people with pre-existing chronic health conditions will only cover about 5% of the estimated 2.2 million people who need insurance, a new analysis concluded. (O'Donnell, 5/4)
The Associated Press:
Anxiety Over GOP Health Plan For Those With Severe Illnesses
"Today, it really kind of sunk in that not only are we not going to potentially have health care coverage but that it was done as a political win rather than a well-thought-out plan," said Martinez, a 32-year-old former chef who's studying social work. "That's what stings about it." (5/5)
Stat:
LA Children's CEO: Jimmy Kimmel Triggered 'Flood Of Calls' From Families Needing Treatment
Since Jimmy Kimmel’s monologue about his son’s lifesaving heart surgery at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, phone calls have overwhelmed Paul Viviano’s switchboard. “We’ve had a flood of calls,” Viviano, the hospital’s CEO, told STAT in an interview Thursday. “Patients and families are calling about, ‘Will you treat this? Can we see you for that?’ We’ve had other calls about advocacy — this notion of preexisting conditions that Jimmy brought to the forefront. People want to know how they can advocate on behalf of children.” (Ross, 5/4)
Meanwhile, don't have a preexisting condition? Have employer-sponsored coverage? You'll still be affected —
The Washington Post:
House Republican Plan Could Raise Health Costs For Pregnant Women And Mothers, Critics Warn
The health-care plan House Republicans passed Thursday opens the door for states to upcharge people with preexisting conditions — including pregnancy, health policy analysts warned. The risk of higher premiums for women of childbearing age arises from the so-called MacArthur amendment — crafted by Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-N.J.) — which allows states to propose their own “essential benefits” package. (Paquette, 5/5)
The Wall Street Journal:
GOP Health Bill Jeopardizes Out-Of-Pocket Caps In Employer Plans
Many people who obtain health insurance through their employers—about half of the country—could be at risk of losing protections that limit out-of-pocket costs for catastrophic illnesses, due to a little-noticed provision of the House Republican health-care bill, health-policy experts say. (Armour and Hackman, 5/4)
The Associated Press:
GOP Health Care Bill Would Allow Employers To Cap Benefits
The Republican health care plan that passed the House on Thursday targeted a key protection for Americans who get their health insurance through work. It would allow health insurance companies to impose lifetime and annual caps on benefits for those who get coverage through a large-employer plan. Former President Barack Obama's health care overhaul banned insurers from imposing such caps, and public opinion surveys have shown that prohibition was popular. (Mulvihill, 5/4)