Of course, dishonest claims about the House legislation may have something to do with it - such as the contention that the House bill does away with "pre-existing" conditions, thus denying treatment to Jimmy Kimmel's baby, and nearly everyone else it would seem. As George Gershwin wrote, "It Ain't Necessarily So." In fact, it isn't "so" at all - not even a little bit.
Here are the facts: If parents have health insurance, their child is covered under their plan, even if that child is gravely ill. This was true before Obamacare as well as with it, and will be true after it, too.
What’s more, American hospitals must provide emergency treatment to everyone who requires it and comes to a hospital. It does not matter if the patient is insured or not, if they have money or not, or if they have a “pre-existing condition” or not.
"Insurers are required to sell plans to all comers, including those with pre-existing conditions. This is known as 'guaranteed issue,' and it's mandated in the AHCA. No exceptions, no waivers”
“Anyone with a pre-existing condition and who lives in a state that does not seek an optional waiver from the AHCA's (and Obamacare's) "community rating" regulation cannot be charged more than other people for a new plan when they seek to purchase one -- which insurers are required to sell them.”
"Anyone who is insured and remains continuously insured cannot be dropped from their plan due to a pre-existing condition, and cannot be charged more after developing one. So if you've been covered, then you change jobs or want to switch plans, carriers must sell you the plan of your choice at the same price point as everyone else. Regardless of your health status."
"If you are uninsured and have a pre-existing condition and live in a state that…obtained…a "community rating" waiver, your state is required to give you access to a "high risk pool" fund to help you pay for higher premiums. The AHCA earmarks nearly $130 billion for these sorts of patient stability funds over ten years.”
Mr. Benson concludes by saying, “It is simply a lie to say that the AHCA guts protections for people with pre-existing conditions.”
Mr. Benson and others have pointed out something that few people know, so we will have a quiz question: What was the peak enrollment of the Pre-existing Condition Insurance plan under Obamacare? Go ahead, guess. 500,000? A million? No, the actual number is…fewer than 115,00 – and that is under the Obamacare plan, not some wicked Republican scheme.
All the hubbub isn't surprising, considering that the whole Obamacare edifice was built on a false foundation – that is, that there were 40 million Americans who were uninsured because they could not afford insurance or could not qualify for it; and further considering that the President sold Obamacare with these infamous words: “If you like your plan, you can keep your plan.” “If you like your doctor you can keep your doctor.” These were untrue. The Congressional Budget Office “scoring” of Obamacare was also off by a huge factor, and its estimates of the number of people who would be insured under it also has proven grossly over-estimated. It is likely that more insured people lost their plans than uninsured people signed up for new ones. The President also promised that premiums would go down by $2,500; and let’s not even talk about how deductibles have soared. How about the news this week. In Maryland, the health insurance premium increase request is 59%; in Connecticut is is 34%; and in Iowa, the only insurer in the exchange has announced it is pulling out of the state. And again – this is under the current Obamacare law. The plan is failing, expensively and ignominiously, and cannot continue without a massive infusion of taxpayer funds. Repeal is about the only affordable option.