“Premiums and deductibles keep going up – I have to pay more for less coverage.”
“Plans come and go, and more often than not, don’t cover my doctors.”
“I hate the surprise bills and I’m constantly having to fight my insurance company.”
I’ve heard these statements a lot. For almost 30 years, medical insurance premiums skyrocketed. We were constantly switching insurance to keep our heads above water. And if you had a pre-existing condition? Forget it. You were uninsurable. Better not lose that job with group coverage.
Thinking of starting a company? Not an option if you have a family to take care of.
The Affordable Care Act of 2010 was based on research by a conservative think tank and deployment by Mitt Romney in Massachusetts. Rate increases slowed with introduction of the ACA, but the biggest wins were the reduction in the number of uninsured, the improved coverage for our children and young adults (through age 25) and the elimination of being uninsurable as a result of pre-existing conditions.
Repealing the ACA, also known as “Obamacare,” would not do a single thing to address the decades-old complaints being used to “justify” its repeal. It would, however, result in millions of people losing health coverage – including those with pre-existing conditions.
Are you a family member or worker paying for insurance on any prescription drug? That‘s a red flag for a pre-existing condition, and would have to be disclosed when applying for insurance.
A repeal alone would bring us back to the days when insurers would insure only the healthy – so long as they remained healthy. If Congress really wants to help Americans and small businesses with their health care concerns, there is an alternative that would not only preserve the best of the ACA but also solve the decades-old problems. It’s even tried and proven as the most cost-effective means of providing care to an entire country, as a percentage of gross domestic product: universal health care, also known as “Medicare for All.”
Regardless of approach, let’s demand a replacement that actually addresses our concerns before any repeal.
Doug Fults
Durango
