The cornerstone of the Republican’s plan to Repeal and Replace Obamacare is the high risk pool. Republicans planned to beef up funding for these pools, which are used for people with pre-existing conditions. In April, the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed a bill to secure $4 billion to fund the program so it could provide an alternative to Obamacare. The money would have come from the Obamacare slush fund. It was rejected and now Mr. Obama has a more devious plan.
By next year, new Obamacare rules which ban raising premiums based on pre-existing conditions will effectively ban high risk pools as they exist now. About 35 states use these pools. Instead of a gradual transition, Mr. Obama is forcing an immediate change. He is not concerned about the trauma to people who want to keep their insurance. He wants to make sure there is no going back.
The government has mandated states have one pool for individual and group health plans. Substance abusers must be treated the same as healthy people by these pools but not tobacco smokers who can be charged higher premiums. The only conditions that can raise premiums are age, geographic location, tobacco use, and family size. The taxpayers get to pay for substance abusers instead of substance abusers paying anything more for their own self-induced illnesses.
Many people who are losing their high risk insurance are being forced into the government exchanges.
One family with pre-existing conditions in Washington State, who were in the high-risk pool in their state, were surprised to learn that Obamacare will cost $100 more a month at over $900 a month and the deductible of $5000 will go up. The healthcare.gov site quoted a much lower premium.
The reason the family has to pay more is because they are now paying for things they don’t need such as maternity benefits.
The people that Obamacare was supposed to help – those with pre-existing conditions – might not be helped.
Do you still think this bill was meant to help or is it meant to control?
I don’t know what people don’t understand. We are headed for single payer and single payer is communism.
http://www.independentsentinel.com/obama-bans-high-risk-pools-cornerstone-of-repeal-and-replace/
