With Preexisting Conditions on the States Chopping Block, Insurance Companies May be Arbiters of Who Lives & Dies
The House of Representatives took a big step toward accomplishing the impossible in 2018. Losing the House to the Democrats despite overwhelming gerrymandering when they, despite their obvious misgivings, voted for the unpopular, flawed, GOP AHCA, or Trumpcare so they can repeal the suddenly popular (now that it’s in danger) ACA or Obamacare. Republicans were in such a hurry to pass this while they had enough votes lined up that they didn’t take the time to get a CBO rating and analysis. However, the less cruel version 1.0 did have a CBO rating and analysis and it stated that 24 million people would lose their health care and costs would rise 20%. Version 3.0 which just passed is a harsher version of Trumpcare 1.0 and puts preexisting coverage in jeopardy at the whims, first of the states and later at the mercy of the health care insurers.
It should be noted that Candidate Trump and even POTUS Trump promised that the replacement health care for Obamacare would be cheaper, plus no one would lose their health care, or coverage for preexisting conditions. It remains to be seen how the public will receive this health care betrayal and POTUS’s cavalier attitude toward breaking his promises, but based upon the angst among town hall participants in last few months, it shouldn’t be very well, especially among the ninety million plus citizens who struggle with the financial as well the physical struggle of preexisting conditions. One might even say that the Death Panels that Republicans visiously and falsely predicted for Obamacare seven years ago may indeed come to pass in GOP TRUMPCARE 3.0.