Tag: Obamacare

Erik Paulsen Votes Against Protections for Pre-Existing Conditions

Original Photo: Craig Lassig, MinnPost

Yesterday, Congressman Erik Paulsen voted along with all of his Republican colleagues on the House Ways and Means Committee against a measure to protect individuals with pre-existing conditions from discrimination. In Minnesota’s 3rd Congressional District, there are 310,200 people with pre-existing conditions. DCCC spokesperson Rachel Irwin released the following statement:

“Congressman Erik Paulsen has once again sided with party bosses and special interests in Washington over his constituents, voting to allow insurance companies to deny coverage to the hundreds of thousands of people in his district with asthma, diabetes, and other pre-existing conditions. Minnesotans will remember this betrayal in November as healthcare is top of mind for voters.”

This vote comes just a few weeks after Rep. Paulsen’s spokesperson, said in a statement to the Star Tribune that, “Rep. [Erik] Paulsen has long supported protections for individuals with pre-existing conditions, and he continues to do so.”

Here are the facts: Paulsen has taken more than $1.2 million from the insurance industry and voted dozens of times to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which would’ve eliminated protections for those with pre-existing conditions. In 2017, he voted for the AHCA, which the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office and Politifact confirmed would gut protections for those with pre-existing conditions, including making health insurance unaffordable for older Americans and jack up premiums. Paulsen has also failed to stand up to Trump’s administration ongoing efforts to dismantle pre-existing conditions protections.

Moving Backward

The following article by Theresa Chalhoub, Aditya Krishnaswamy and the National Partnership for Women and Families was posted on the Center for American Progress Progress website June 21, 2018:

Efforts to Undo Pre-Existing Condition Protections Put Millions of Women and Girls at Risk

A mother and her child visit the doctor, October 2013. Credit: GettyBSIP/UIG

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) prohibits discriminatory insurance practices in pricing and coverage in the individual market. Before the law was enacted, women routinely were denied coverage or charged more for insurance based on so-called pre-existing conditions. For example, in the individual insurance market, a woman could be denied coverage or charged a higher premium if she had been diagnosed with or experienced HIV or AIDS; diabetes; lupus; an eating disorder; or pregnancy or a previous cesarean birth, just to name a few. The ACA provided women with protections for pre-existing conditions and access to comprehensive, affordable, and fair health services. Continue reading “Moving Backward”

Health Care Sabotage

Donald Trump and his administration continue their attack on health care:

Trump suspended a program that helps stabilize health insurance markets

In its latest effort to sabotage the working Affordable Care Act, the Trump administration is suspending ACA risk adjustment payments.  These payments actively encourage insurers to participate in the exchanges and cover sicker patients who need more care, not just young and healthy people.  The Trump administration’s move injects uncertainty into the insurance market and could drive up premiums for next year.

Trump’s sabotage of the ACA is increasing premiums

Trump and Republicans have failed to deliver on their promises of making health care more affordable and accessible. In reality, their ongoing sabotage of the ACA has caused premiums to increase and increased the ranks of the uninsured. Continue reading “Health Care Sabotage”

Graham-Cassidy 2.0

The following article by Topher Spiro was posted on the Center for American Progress website June 19, 2018:

New ACA Repeal Plan Revives Threats to Americans’ Health Care

The U.S. Capitol building is seen behind two ambulances on Friday, June 15, 2018. Credit: Getty, Bill Clark

The so-called Health Policy Consensus Group—led by former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) and composed of several conservative think tank groups—just released a new plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act.1 The group has been working with Senate Republicans, a group of corporations, and the White House, which supports the plan. Some Senate Republicans aim to take legislative action on the plan by the end of August.2 Their first step would be to pass a budget bill that provides them with the authority to pass the repeal bill on a party-line vote. The House Budget Committee is scheduled to begin that process this week.3

Although this is a new plan, it merely recycles some of the worst elements of the failed Graham-Cassidy repeal bill4—which experts consider the “the most harmful” repeal bill.5Graham-Cassidy 2.0 would lead to the same disastrous results: Continue reading “Graham-Cassidy 2.0”

President Trump’s flip-flop on coverage for preexisting health conditions

The following article by Glenn Kessler and Meg Kelly was posted on the Washington Post website June 14, 2018:

The president regularly said he would keep the protections for people with pre-existing conditions. A recent decision does the opposite. (Meg Kelly /The Washington Post)

“After careful consideration, and with the approval of the President of the United States, I have determined that, in Texas v. United States, No. 4: l 8-cv-00167-O (N.D. Tex.), the Department will not defend the constitutionality of 26 U.S.C. 5000A(a), and will argue that certain provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are inseverable from that provision.”
— Attorney General Jeff Sessions, in a letter, June 7, 2018

In plain English, the attorney general’s letter means that the Trump administration no longer supports a provision of the Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. Obamacare, that makes it possible for people to buy insurance if they have preexisting health conditions. Continue reading “President Trump’s flip-flop on coverage for preexisting health conditions”

The New Obamacare Lawsuit Could Undo Far More Than Protections for Pre-existing Conditions

The following article by Margot Sanger-Katz was posted on the New York Times website June 12, 2018:

Removing two rules from the individual market could very easily disrupt many others.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Capitol Hill in April. The Justice Department has filed suit challenging a crucial provision of the Affordable Care Act. Credit: Andrew Harnik, AP

A new Trump administration court challenge is explicitly aiming to remove a central promise of Obamacare — its protections for people with pre-existing health conditions. But it could also make it much harder for any individual to obtain health insurance on the open market.

The administration’s brief, filed in Federal District Court in Texas on Thursday, focuses on the core Obamacare provisions that make insurance available to people with prior illnesses. Those protections — which President Trump once praised and Republicans in Congress vowed not to disrupt last year — don’t exist in a vacuum. Continue reading “The New Obamacare Lawsuit Could Undo Far More Than Protections for Pre-existing Conditions”

A ‘Sick Joke’: Democrats Attack Health Secretary on Pre-existing Conditions Image

The following article by Robert Pear was posted on the New York Times website June 12, 2018:

Alex M. Azar II, Secretary of Health and Human Services, conceded that President Trump’s promise late last month that drug companies would come forward with “voluntary massive drops in prices” within two weeks might not be fulfilled by that deadline. Credit: J. Scott Applewhite, AP

WASHINGTON — Democratic senators blistered President Trump’s health secretary on Tuesday, telling him that the Trump administration’s efforts to undo health insurance protections for people with pre-existing conditions made a mockery of the president’s campaign to rein in prescription drug prices.

The secretary of health and human services, Alex M. Azar II, told Congress that he would be glad to work with lawmakers on legislation — “alternatives to the Affordable Care Act, modifications of the Affordable Care Act” — to provide access to insurance for people with pre-existing conditions. Continue reading “A ‘Sick Joke’: Democrats Attack Health Secretary on Pre-existing Conditions Image”

Rate Filings Make Clear ACA Sabotage is Driving Premiums Up

The following article by Thomas Huelskoetter and Madeline Twomey was posted on the Center for American Progress website June 13, 2018:

Hundreds of people show up to a rally to protest the Trump administration’s repeal of the Affordable Care Act, February 25, 2017, in Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Credit: Getty/NurPhoto, Bastiaan Slabbers

Last year, as part of the recently passed tax law, Congress repealed the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) individual mandate penalty, despite estimates from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office that this would increase average individual market premiums by 10 percent. The individual mandate fined people who chose to remain uninsured in order to encourage younger and healthier people to purchase health coverage. This resulted in a healthier insurance pool, lowering premiums for everyone.

In recent weeks, state have begun to hit their deadlines for insurers to file their proposed individual market premium rates. The emerging trend from these rate filings is clear: Congress’ repeal of the mandate penalty is significantly driving up premiums.

In many states thus far, insurer rate filings have explicitly pointed to Congress’ actions as a major driver of premium increases.

Continue reading “Rate Filings Make Clear ACA Sabotage is Driving Premiums Up”

Trump’s Justice Department says the ACA is unconstitutional

The following article by Sam Baker was posted on the Axios website June 7, 2018:

The Justice Department will not defend the Affordable Care Act in court, and says it believes the law’s individual mandate — the provision the Supreme Court upheld in 2012 — has become unconstitutional.

Why it matters: The Justice Department almost always defends federal laws when they’re challenged in court. Its departure from that norm in this case is a major development — career DOJ lawyers removed themselves from the case as the department announced this shift in its position.

The details: The ACA’s individual mandate requires most people to buy insurance or pay a tax penalty. The Supreme Court upheld that in 2012 as a valid use of Congress’ taxing power. Continue reading “Trump’s Justice Department says the ACA is unconstitutional”