Washington, D.C. — Today, the Center for American Progress released a new analysis of the number of Americans with preexisting conditions. The new column includes estimates—broken out by specific groups—for the number of nonelderly individuals with preexisting conditions by congressional district for the 116th Congress. These estimates come in advance of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling on the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which could result in the law’s protections for people with preexisting conditions being eliminated in their entirety.
Key findings from the column include:
- More than 135 million, or roughly half of nonelderly Americans, have preexisting conditions that could subject them to discrimination by insurance companies if they ever sought coverage in the individual market without the ACA’s protections.
- Montana’s at-large district has the greatest number of people—429,900—with preexisting conditions in the country.
- 5 of the 10 congressional districts with the greatest numbers of people with preexisting conditions are located in Texas.
- 7 of the 10 congressional districts with the greatest numbers of people with preexisting conditions are located in states that have refused to expand Medicaid, putting their residents’ health at risk.
“This analysis shows that the Trump administration’s lawsuit to invalidate the Affordable Care Act could wreak havoc for people with preexisting conditions all over the country,” said Emily Gee, health economist at CAP.
Please click here to read “Number of Americans With Preexisting Conditions by District for the 116th Congress” by Emily Gee.
Please click here to download the table showing estimates by state and district for the 116th Congress.
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Colin Seeberger at [email protected] or 202.741.6292.