How bad is this Republican wealthcare bill? It is nothing short of vicious. This is a longer thread, but if you are one of the 130 million Americans with a pre-existing condition, if you’ve ever been pregnant or plan to have a family, if you or a loved one survives on Medicaid, or if you are age 46 or older, this is an absolute must-read. Senator Bob Casey breaks down this AHCA wealthcare bill, starting by noting the essential health benefits requirement of the Affordable Care Act would be revoked.
Why is that a big deal? Because that means insurance companies would no longer be required to cover critical preventatives services like mammograms, colon cancer screenings, vaccinations, check-ups. No longer required to cover prescription drugs, pregnancy and childbirth, emergency room visits and more.
As many of you know, last year I went for my first routine mammogram, one the Affordable Care Act mandated my insurance company cover. Seven weeks later I found myself having a lifesaving double mastectomy. It is beyond cruel to take away this mandated coverage. There are 250,000 Americans who will find out THIS YEAR they have breast cancer. How many will postpone or avoid routine screenings because they will be unable to afford it? Make no mistake about it, people will unnecessarily die. Breast cancer and many other forms of cancer are treatable, even curable, if found early.
The wealthcare bill utterly destroys the Medicaid program.
Who’s on Medicaid? Seniors, children and people with disabilities.
People like this teen, who was arrested outside McConnell’s Senate office today.
If you are one of the estimated 130 million Americans with a pre-existing condition, insurance companies will be charging you more in the very near future:
The AHCA wealthcare bill only allows for one year of funding to fight the opioid crisis that has swept the nation. In 2015, 52,000 Americans died from a drug overdose.
How many tens of thousands of lives will be on the line when the funding to fight this crisis runs out in 2018? The AHCA wealthcare bill only allows for $2 billion in funds, a far cry from the $45 billion Republican senators were seeking.
A lobbyist for the tanning industry must’ve had a seat at the table, because the AHCA wealthcare bill strikes down a tax on tanning services:
The AHCA wealthcare bill slashes $4 billion in preventative care. Funding for immunizations, diabetes prevention, Alzheimer’s outreach, heart disease and stroke prevention, suicide prevention, lead poisoning prevention, anti-smoking efforts and more—all gone.
Senator Casey goes on to note the bill includes an “age tax.” What does that mean? If you are age 46 or older, your premiums are going to go up dramatically. From the AARP:
The AHCA would raise that limit: Premiums for older people could jump to five times the amount insurers charge younger consumers, from the limit of three times the younger consumers’ rate under the current law, the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Such a change would significantly increase financial burdens on millions of older adults, but the shift in costs would do little to get more young consumers to enroll.
And last, but certainly not least, more evidence the insurance industry themselves wrote this vicious bill. The AHCA wealthcare bill includes a section that allows insurance companies to deduct executive salaries. For real:
Finally, here’s an exasperated Senator Elizabeth Warren telling it like it is, “These cuts are blood money. Senate Republicans are paying for tax cuts for the wealthy with American lives.”