5 Ways the New GOP Health Care Bill Is Even Worse Than Before

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Earlier today, the House passed the American Health Care Act, the Obamacare replacement plan President Trump long promised, by a vote of 217 to 213. As you read this, House Republicans are probably congratulating themselves on stripping 24 million or so people of health insurance with cans of frothy, lukewarm Bud Light.

The GOP’s first, aborted effort to replace Obamacare was bad. The not-so-cleverly disguised tax cut for the rich was so unpalatable to House Republicans on both the center and far right that no amount of bribes, threats or cajoling by the Trump Administration could convince them to "walk the plank for a bill that cannot pass the Senate" as Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AK) put it. The bill went down in flames, humiliating the president and depriving him of the highly-coveted signature piece legislation he could tout on his 100th day in office..

As bad as that version of the bill was, the re-animated zombie bill is significantly worse — or at least seems like it based on what little is known about its details. No hearings about it were held, and only the text of the old bill is available on the GOP’s AHCA website. But after huddling with the leaders of the far right-wing House Freedom Caucus and the more pliant legislators of the center right, Paul Ryan emerged Thursday with a plan to make insurance coverage even more expensive and less beneficial for millions of Americans. Here’s why:  

No CBO Score

New High Risk Pools

Coverage Will Get Much More Expensive For People with Pre-Existing Conditions

Employer Plans Could Get More Expensive Too

Being a Victim of Sexual Assault or Domestic Abuse, Having a C-Section or Postpartum Depression Are All Pre-existing Conditions

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/5-ways-the-new-gop-health-care-bill-is-even-worse-than-before-w480791

More details at link

[frazzled]

1. I think the potentially worst thing is that

many of the plans will cover very little: "junk" plans. The ACA established firm standards about what must be covered by a plan. My guess is that this bill will allow anything that calls itself insurance to count as "insuring" someone.

All these points in the article are focused mostly on costs. But even the lowest-cost policy will be useless if it doesn't cover your medical needs (surgery, imaging, medications, etc.).

Just because something is called a health insurance policy doesn't mean you will have access to health care needed. The ACA was having problems with deductibles that were too high for some and with rising premiums (but this latter only for about 3% of those insured, according to analyses I read). But they were "real" insurance policies. If you got lymphoma, like my husband did a few years ago, you were covered for all the procedures and drugs needed to treat the cancer. You may have gotten stuck with a deductible that was hard to pay (even up to 5 or 6 thousand dollars), but the rest of the $500,000 or so would be covered, and you were likely to be given a clean bill of health at the end. I have severe doubts as to the insurance that will possibly be sold on this new market is worth the paper its printed on.

[pansypoo53219]

2. all for the teabaggers.

fuck bi-partisan. he is worse than georgee on that. all hail turnip.

[L. Coyote]

3. GOP lawmakers run from cameras when asked if they read the health care bill

Link to tweet