GOP whip: Everyone with pre-existing conditions will have affordable coverage
Watch. Steve Scalise just told @Morning_Joe *everyone* w/ a pre-existing cond. who has coverage now will still have coverage under GOP plan. pic.twitter.com/9wcOuD2izd
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) May 5, 2017
House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) says everyone with a pre-existing condition who currently has affordable healthcare coverage will continue to be covered affordably if the GOP’s ObamaCare replacement plan becomes law.
Pressed Friday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on whether those with pre-existing conditions currently covered under ObamaCare will retain their coverage, Scalise said “absolutely.”
“Their rates will remain affordable. If somebody just drops out of the insurance market altogether and then wants to come back and get in, we put extra money in place,” he said.
{mosads}”In fact, the last amendment that was added just a few days ago … put an extra $8 billion in the bill to help specifically people with pre-existing conditions who just chose on their own to stop having insurance coverage. So now they can even get back in the insurance market and actually get coverage that’s affordable for them,” Scalise added.
The House GOP on Thursday passed the American Health Care Act, a bill that repeals much of ObamaCare. The bill heads to the Senate next.
Top Republicans have defended their plan’s coverage for pre-existing conditions, noting an amendment would add $8 billion over five years to help people with pre-existing conditions in states granted a waiver for an ObamaCare provision that prevents insurers from charging premiums based on customers’ health.
But many experts say that this amount of money is nowhere near enough to help people with health conditions afford coverage if that ObamaCare provision, known as community rating, is waived.
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