The Republican Party’s thread of hope right now is convincing people to buy into the healthcare sham of “high-risk pools.” Republican Rep. Jeff Denham (CA-10) was one of the many Republicans who decided to tell Americans to get busy not being sick or get busy dying. A few days after the vote, Rep. Denham was filmed during a confrontation with constituents who were more than unhappy with his decision to vote for Trumpcare.
Woman: Do you have experience actually dealing with buying insurance through a high-risk pool? Because I tried to, for my husband. It would have cost us more than our income every month to only insure him. There was a six month waiting list—about that, depending on how fast people die—to get on the insurance.
Once you got on to the California high risk pool there was six months you had to pay premiums before they covered your pre-existing condition
Denham: This was in California?
Woman: This was the California high risk pool. My husband’s employer canceled our insurance without letting us know. Gave us our COBRA packets on day 62. let us know we could pay all of our premiums for the last two months. We didn’t know because his meds get filled every three months. So we didn’t know we didn’t have insurance for the first 60 days—and yeah, I know it’s illegal but it doesn’t mean people don’t do it. Okay?
So then when we apply for the California high risk pool for my husband—alone—it would have cost us our entire income, $2,000 every month. Except, there was a waiting period before we were allowed to buy. And then it was six months before the insurance would apply, to get the medicine that keeps him alive.
So how are we supposed to be assured that people in other states, because yes, California will apply for waivers, but people in other states need to be protected from that too. That’s unacceptable.
Rep. Denham seems like he wasn’t ready for this woman, who’s half his size, to drop a knowledge bomb on his big dumb head. He attempted to do what Republicans do best, kick the can down the road and hope it all goes away.
Denham: I’d love for you to try to help me understand this better—
Woman: --I tried. I emailed you office several times. I’ve gotten back form letters that do not address a single point. It’s very frustrating.
She breaks down just some of the basic bullshit in the AHCA legislation, like the idea that people will be buying insurance from other states with their own insurance laws. Denham doesn’t get that he just got got.
Denham: You have an open invitation—
Woman: --I email you all the time.
Denham: Let’s set up a meeting.
Woman (or someone in audience): You should have done that before you voted.
It’s time for Rep. Jeff Dunham to go back to what he’s good at doing: getting things off of high shelves for shorter people.