Our Health Policy Matters

The Affordable Care Act amendment offered by House leadership yesterday seems well-intended. But it falls far short of the “repeal and replace” promises that have been made for years. Instead of offering better health insurance, more choices, and greater affordability as promised, the draft proposal pushes more people into private health insurance exchanges, through which insurers will offer poorer coverage at a higher cost.  Older adults will immediately pay as much as 60 percent more for their health insurance. All individuals will find themselves subjected to a new “individual mandate,” disguised as a 30 percent premium surcharge for those who lose their coverage for more than two months and for those 26 year olds who fail to enroll as soon as they leave their parents’ policies. A new high risk pool for those with chronic diseases will become a multi-billion dollar unfunded mandate on the states by 2026. Employers will no longer have to provide insurance ...

The Affordable Care Act amendment offered by House leadership yesterday seems well-intended. But it falls far short of the “repeal and replace” promises that have been made for years. Instead of offering better health insurance, more choices, and greater affordability as promised, the draft proposal pushes more people into private health insurance exchanges, through which insurers will offer poorer coverage at a higher cost.  Older adults will immediately pay as much as 60 percent more for their health insurance. All individuals will find themselves subjected to a new “individual mandate,” disguised as a 30 percent premium surcharge for those who lose their coverage for more than two months and for those 26 year olds who fail to enroll as soon as they leave their parents’ policies. A new high risk pool for those with chronic diseases will become a multi-billion dollar unfunded mandate on the states by 2026. Employers will no longer have to provide insurance ...