Watching the activity regarding the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, it appears that most people are in agreement about the future of the ACA. They like the coverage and don’t want it changed. People appear vehement on this issue. Interestingly, this is a bipartisan response.
People are demanding full coverage, no denial or price hike for pre-existing conditions, assured coverage if a person gets chronically sick, woman’s health services covered, screening and preventive services without co-pay or deductible, mental health and addiction coverage and that children can remain on parent’s policy up to 26 years of age. Also, no lifetime limits, 80 percent of premiums for care (not profit), closing the Medicare D “doughnut hole,” and funding for states expanding Medicaid to cover those living beneath the poverty level.
That is what the ACA currently provides.
“Improve or repair” seems to be the choice of the majority, a solution supported by most organizations studying the potential impact of “repeal and replace.”
The “repair” approach is considered achievable, at a substantially lower cost, and is supported by the American Hospital Association, who estimate a $165 billion cost for “repeal,” which would cause many hospitals to reduce services or some to close. Governors fear the impact on state budgets when forced to cover the uninsured. The Congressional Budget Office predicts that premiums for those buying insurance in the marketplace would increase by up to 50 percent, double by 2026.
The economy would suffer as a result; the people almost certainly would.
Patricia Fogg, Greene
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