Washington, D.C. — Republican leaders in Congress are making another last-minute attempt to rip health care from millions of Americans by jamming through a bill that, according to a new column from the Center for American Progress, could force individuals with even relatively mild pre-existing conditions to pay tens thousands of dollars more for coverage.
The Affordable Care Act prohibits insurers from charging higher premiums based on factors such as health status or pre-existing conditions. The Graham-Cassidy proposal would let states eliminate that requirement so carriers could impose surcharges on premiums based on health status and medical history.
For example, an individual with asthma would face a premium surcharge of $4,340. The surcharge for diabetes would be $5,600 per year. Coverage could become prohibitively expensive for those in dire need of care: Patients with metastatic cancer would be charged an extra $142,650.
“Graham-Cassidy would have the same nightmarish impact on individuals with pre-existing conditions that the previous House and Senate repeal bills would have had. This bill would drive up costs for many families across the country, hurting Americans facing serious health challenges the most. This bill could allow insurers to charge $17,320 more for pregnancy and $26,580 more for rheumatoid arthritis,” said Emily Gee, health economist at CAP.
Click here to read “Graham-Cassidy ACA Repeal Bill Would Cause Huge Premium Increases for People with Pre-Existing Conditions,” by Sam Berger and Emily Gee.
For more information on this topic or to speak with an expert, please contact Devon Kearns at 202.741.6290 or [email protected].