AP FACT CHECK: Kimmel’s take on health care harder to refute
None of them have really captured the complexity of the debate over who might lose insurance protections in the latest Republican health care bill. But of the three, the TV guy is the hardest to refute.
Trump insists in a tweet that the bill covers pre-existing conditions, a point also made by Cassidy, a sponsor of the legislation. But there’s a catch. It allows states to get a waiver from “Obamacare” requirements that insurers charge the same to people with health problems as they do to healthy people.
The potential result: unaffordable premiums for people in poor health.
TRUMP: “I would not sign Graham-Cassidy if it did not include coverage of pre-existing conditions. It does! A great Bill. Repeal & Replace.”
THE FACTS: Such coverage may be included but it’s far from assured.
Under the GOP bill moving toward a Senate vote next week, insurers would still be required to accept people with pre-existing conditions. But here’s where the catch comes in:
States could seek waivers that allow insurers to charge people more on account of health problems. That would allow insurers to offer lower-premium plans to healthier customers.
And states could also get waivers that allow insurers to tailor benefits so that people with costly conditions are discouraged from signing up. For example: plans that don’t cover treatment for substance abuse problems.
“If I was a person with a pre-existing condition, I would say I don’t have any guarantee of getting health insurance if the bill passes,” said Gary Claxton of the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation, an expert on the private health insurance system.
“Insurers can charge people with pre-existing conditions much higher rates, making it essentially a denial,” added Claxton.
Dr. Michael Munger of Kansas City, Kansas, estimates that 4 in 10 of the patients in his family medicine practice have some sort of condition that could result in higher premiums.
Kimmel’s critique goes to the core of the issue. But it’s more nuanced than either he or Cassidy acknowledges, says insurance industry consultant and blogger Robert Laszewski. He points out that governors and legislatures would have to take action to weaken insurance protections guaranteed in federal law under Obama. Those state lawmakers would face pushback from consumers and medical groups, so it’s not a given that such protections would be lost.
Nonetheless, Laszewski says Republicans have created a problem for their legislation.
“I think they made a huge mistake by leaving a crack open,” said Laszewski. “And Jimmy Kimmel and the Democrats are going to try to drive a truck through it.”
Thanks for coming by!
Tags
Who is online
92 visitors
I notice that no one is really addressing the overall cost of medical care... This is just an insurance payment plan-- it has nothing to do with the overall cost. It's just a way to re-allocate the funds of the citizens to pay for such exorbitant care!
Exactly !
Nothing coming out of D.C. addresses that what-so-ever !
D.C. just tells people they will pay less, while they get the extra money needed from those that work hard and pay for their own insurance already.
I'm with Rand Paul on this. This new crud, including the original Obamascare, doesn't do shit to fix anything.
So you agree that universal healthcare is the way to go right? Because as long as healthcare is a business, healthcare cost will just be business as usual
“If I was a person with a pre-existing condition, I would say I don’t have any guarantee of getting health insurance if the bill passes,” said Gary Claxton of the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation, an expert on the private health insurance system.
“Insurers can charge people with pre-existing conditions much higher rates, making it essentially a denial,” added Claxton.
I have actually seen someone in this debate say "I want to insure my family, not anyone else's family", which misunderstands the entire concept of insurance, and also contradicts the entire concept of a cooperative society.
The strange thing is that many people with this attitude love to talk about "American unity".
Illogical, isn't it?
I'd like to see the list of medical organizations that are in favor of this legislation. Oh wait, it doesn't exist.
Good point, Hal!
Fox News’ Kennedy: Jimmy Kimmel’s Son Doesn’t Need Health Insurance – Because Charity!
Fox News host Lisa “Kennedy” Montgomery advocated for the Graham-Cassidy Trumpcare plan by arguing that health insurance is not needed for very sick children like Jimmy Kimmel’s because there are charity hospitals and doctors who do pro bono work.
In a discussion promoting Graham-Cassidy on Fox's The Five last night, Kennedy ironically started out by arguing that it’s “incredibly cruel to say that Obamacare is working” because in some places premiums have skyrocketed. She didn’t mention that Marco Rubio’s sabotage is largely responsible.
Kennedy went on to advocate that young, healthy people should be allowed to go without decent health insurance. That, of course, is really a way of saying that she doesn’t care if young people have access to good health care, covered up with a pretense of empathy.
Again no mention of the destabilization foisted on the system by Rubio.
I use to make a good commission off those young idiots, selling them cookie cutter plans that don't really cover jack. Then I would get the call saying I sold them a junk plan when they went to the ER but didn't have coverage for the aftercare or the prescription that was given to them once they left! The best were the ones who bought 3 individual plans that has the coverage they need, when it would have just been cheaper overall just to buy a regular full coverage plan! I still shake my head about the plan I sold this one guy which covered ER and doctors visits 100% and he was only paying 25 bucks a month, the problem was he had a 20K deductible and a lifetime max of 50K! But yet it's people like that who are complaining about Obamacare!..unbelievable