Campaign Action
Late Friday, the major players in health insurance—America's Health Insurance Plans, which is the trade group representing insurers, and the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association—blasted Sen. Ted Cruz's amendment to Trumpcare, saying it "is simply unworkable in any form and would undermine protections for those with pre-existing medical conditions, increase premiums and lead to widespread terminations of coverage for people currently enrolled in the individual market."
The provision, backed by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, would authorize insurers to sell coverage that wouldn’t meet ACA standards on the condition that they also sell at least some plans that did. While this setup could offer healthy people less expensive policies, insurers and actuaries say it would likely prove dysfunctional over time, pushing up rates and reducing offerings for people buying the compliant plans. […]
The upshot, experts say: The noncompliant plans would likely be far less expensive and would draw healthy enrollees away from the compliant plans. That could leave the compliant plans with a sicker customer pool that generates higher medical costs on average, pushing up premiums.
“There are certainly winners and losers with this program,” said Kurt Wrobel, a fellow of the Society of Actuaries and chief actuary at Geisinger Health Plan. “Individuals that were healthier and not getting a subsidy in some respects would be better off, those with pre-existing conditions would be made worse off.”
In their letter, the insurance associations said that if the amendment becomes law, “premiums will skyrocket for people with pre-existing conditions.” The provision “will lead to far fewer, if any, coverage options for consumers who purchase their plan in the individual market. As a result, millions of more individuals will become uninsured,” the associations said.
This amendment is key to getting Cruz's vote, as well as probably Sen. Mike Lee's. That's one of the reasons McConnell wanted to go ahead with the vote without having the CBO score this amendment, and still might. But not seeing that score wouldn't be an excuse for any Republican to support it, not when they're hearing its impact straight from the industry.
Senate Republicans wanted to pass Trumpcare before July 4th, but we kept up the pressure and they failed. Now, make them push it past the August recess! Call your U.S. senator at (202) 224-3121, and say you are still angry that they’re even thinking about it passing Trumpcare. Then, click here to tell us how the call went.
Please give $1 to each of our Senate funds so that Republican senators—especially Ted Cruz—know there'll be a price to pay for repealing health care.