HHS has issued documents outlining the costs of repealing the recently passed health care reform measures, as the GOP Controlled House plans. The Hill summarizes:
According to the document, repeal would mean: more than 1.2 million young adults under 26 would lose insurance through parents’ health plans; more than 165 million individuals would be subjected to lifetime coverage limits; about 16 million could have their insurance dropped at any moment; 44 million seniors would be forced to pay a co-pay for preventive services; and other protections would be lost.
The problem faced by Republicans who plan to attempt repeal without providing a viable alternative is that our previous health care system is not one that any rational person would have advocated. Health care reform finally passed last year partially because the old system was on the verge of collapse with growing numbers of people losing employer-paid coverage and the individual market failing to provide affordable solutions. Advocating return to a system where insurance companies could drop people when they get sick to boost their profits will only help highlight the real priorities of Republicans.
