Earlier this week, The Hill ran a curious headline: "Romney: Repeal health law, keep pre-existing conditions clause." Congressional Republicans have already expressed a willingness to leave several key provisions of the Affordable Care Act intact, is Mitt Romney prepared to protect Americans with pre-existing conditions, too?
Not exactly. Under Romney's vision, an employee who has a pre-existing condition should be able to keep his or her coverage if they change jobs. That's not exactly a bold position -- since 1996, federal law has already protected these folks.
But what about everyone else who has a pre-existing condition, including children? As Sam Stein reported, they're out of luck.
For starters, there is the question of what happens to individuals with pre-existing conditions who lose their jobs rather than move to a new one? Often, COBRA coverage doesn't fully cover treatment costs or last long enough. Another, perhaps more pertinent question is what happens to people who enter the insurance market already suffering from a pre-existing condition? [...]
[A statement from the Romney campaign] confirms that under a Romney presidency, there would be no federal prohibition barring health insurers from discriminating against pre-existing conditions. Instead, his administration would push reforms that help eat away at the problem.
Those "reforms" -- including turning responsibilities to states -- have been largely ineffective.
An ABC report added that Romney's policy "does not immediately address people who have never had private health insurance, or who have had insurance but spent some time without, often because of financial circumstances and unemployment."
Given the popularity of these consumer protections -- as many as 85% of Americans support coverage for those with pre-existing conditions -- Romney is placing himself on the wrong side of the American mainstream.
Stephanie Cutter of the Obama campaign responded, "Mitt Romney just clarified the choice in this election – he'd put insurance companies back in charge. People living with pre-existing conditions from asthma to breast cancer are on their own if Mitt Romney is elected president and millions more would lose their health insurance."
Something to keep in mind when you see news reports about Romney's support for "keeping the pre-existing conditions clause."
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I blame both the media for not being more aggressive in questioning the Romney campaign on this issue, and the Obama campaign for being utterly derelict in its duty to frame this election as a choice on what kind of health care Americans want to receive.
Of course, we may not have to wait much longer. When the Supreme Court gets involved in this issue, especially if it strikes down some or all of the ACA, health care will vault to the top of everyone's radar for the home stretch of this election.
As a newly retired teacher, I can tell you that almost 35% of my pension is going to keep the retired version of the medical insurance policy that I had during active employment. As a 20 year melanoma survivor with a genetically inherited skin condition (non-fatal but chronic with expensive treatment), there would be no insurance coverage for me without maintaining. It will be a long, expensive 5 years until medicare.
Romney needs to get a "clue".
Mittsywittsy is hopeless.
Every time I hear Republicans say they want to turn the matters over to the states, I hear "Let's give the states a license to do little or nothing for the problem." When welfare was controlled by the states there was a vast difference between the southern states and the rest of the country. This disparity is what helped create population migration and allow some state to dump their social problems on other states by lack of inaction or inadequate actions. The same logic applies to other issues.
Under a romney/republican/free market plan the insurance companies would gladly cover those with pre-existing conditions. It would be great public relations for the gop and hmos.
But, what they conveniently leave out is that they will increase costs for everyone else to cover the additional expense. HMO's are a for profit business and that this is their driving motivation - not good healthcare.
Once again that librul bastion of knowledge known as the corporate owned lame-stream media are totally informing the public of this very much needed information - sike!
One question I would like to ask Mitt Romney, "If I don't have children going to school, then why do I have to pay school taxes?" From there I would ask about health care for school children. Right now children have health care because one of there parents might get it through work or they make enough to afford it. It's a child's good luck to have health care right now.
Like Lawrence O'Donnel says, "health care is a basic human necessity." Everyone should have it and everyone should pay for it.
I knew Romney would never, ever agree to the pre-existing conditions clause. That is the easiest way for an insurance company to deny you coverage. It is also how they make the most money.
Democrats and Indepedents alike must hammer him on this. He will NEVER agree to this. We have him. Now we can prove to Americans where he really stands - with the 1%.
I knew Romney would never agree to the pre-existing conditions clause.
It is the easiest way for an insurance company to deny you coverage.
It is also how they make the most money.
This is an absolute gotcha moment!
Democrats and Indepedents alike must hammer him on this.
He will NEVER agree to this. We have him.
Now we can prove to Americans where he really stands - with the 1%.
Mormons believe, and this is proved by their doctrine (The Book of Mormon), that:
1. Jesus came to the United States in the 1800's,
2. Jesus met with a man named Joseph Smith,
3. Jesus told Smith he was His new apostle, and
4. Jesus said the United States was the new Jerusalem.
I dare any Mormon to deny this is what they believe.
Is this what you want your children to believe?
I really don't care what the Mormons or any other religious group believes in. As long as people don't try to impose their religious beliefs on me, I fine.
I believe God will sort it all out and that gives me peace of mind. Entirely too much time is wasted on this morality stuff.
Unfortunately, way too many avowed Christians in the US clearly believe that they have not only a right, but a duty to force their theology on other people.
One way the removal of this protection that has not been addressed is the pre existing condition protection of children. Right now we are in the midst of an epidemic affecting our children. Over 30% of kids are overweight and a large number of them have already developed type II diabetes, a condition normally associated with a person in their 50's. So if Romney allows the insurance companies to use pre existing conditions as a reason for cancellation of coverage, these families will be thrown off their policies. Their children who have developed the disease will suffer from heart disease by the time they are 30 and will be in need of expensive care. If they are denied coverage, who will pay for their care? these are the questions the timid media should be asking Romney to respond to.
One way the removal of this protection that has not been addressed is the pre existing condition protection of children. Right now we are in the midst of an epidemic affecting our children. Over 30% of kids are overweight and a large number of them have already developed type II diabetes, a condition normally associated with a person in their 50's. So if Romney allows the insurance companies to use pre existing conditions as a reason for cancellation of coverage, these families will be thrown off their policies. Their children who have developed the disease will suffer from heart disease by the time they are 30 and will be in need of expensive care. If they are denied coverage, who will pay for their care? these are the questions the timid media should be asking Romney to respond to.
They better keep the provision, half of this country is GOP and for them mental illness is definitely a pre-existing condition!
Mitt Romney will need insurance for his hair too! Not to mention something to cover his habitual lying, his magic underpants, and his dog will obviously need insurance too for any kind of travel. I assume he'll be strapped to the top of Air Force One.
I love teaching moments. A friend told me yesterday that she was out of work, had no insurance, and was thankful that her doctor was going to charge her only $850 for a colonoscopy and lab work. I told her that I thought colonoscopies were considered preventative and the Affordable Care Act was supposed to cover them completely if the exam finds no problems (I learned later that, if there are abnormalities, and lab work is done, there may be some cost to the patient.). She was very happy. I'm pretty sure this woman is a Republican.
I must be one of those that was stuck in a bagel hole, I have been denied health insurance in the state of Arizona. They will not let me buy any. The sad thing is that I'm not the only member of this club there are a lot of people walking around praying they don't get sick. Don't even consider needing a prescription, they will laugh you out of the State.