Proposed Replacements for ACA Would Not Protect People with Preexisting Conditions
As people begin shopping for health coverage today on the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces, health plans in many states are facing new competition from insurance products that don’t meet the law’s standards. These standards include not allowing insurers to deny or exclude coverage, or charge more, based on a person’s preexisting health conditions. Last week, the administration announced it will allow states to further encourage the sale of noncompliant plans by letting people use federal subsidies to buy them.
In a new To the Point post, the Commonwealth Fund’s Sara Collins reminds us that the ACA has dramatically improved the ability of people with preexisting conditions to buy coverage. In 2010, before the law passed, 70 percent of people with health problems said it was very difficult or impossible to buy affordable coverage. By 2016, that share had dropped to 42 percent.
Some congressional candidates who support ACA repeal are pointing to their support for Republican proposals, such as the Ensuring Coverage for Patients with Pre-Existing Conditions Act, as proof they support coverage for preexisting conditions. This bill would prevent insurers from refusing to sell a plan to people with preexisting conditions or charging higher premiums. But, unlike the ACA, it would allow insurers to entirely exclude coverage for care pertaining to the preexisting conditions themselves.
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