Protection for People With Pre-Existing Conditions Is Cut
House Republicans have scheduled a procedural vote for Thursday that is necessary to allow them to vote on repealing ObamaCare as early as Friday. The White House has been frantically looking for a legislative win to include in its thin list of first 100 days accomplishments.
The House Freedom Caucus, the far right wing section of Republicans that blocked the passage of TrumpCare in an embarrassing defeat for President Donald Trump last month, on Wednesday said they are on board with the latest plan, which was posted online that evening.
The new TrumpCare bill, which House Speaker Paul Ryan likely will try to bring to the floor for a vote Friday, or Saturday, Trump’s 100th day, allows states to let insurance companies charge what they want to for people with pre-existing conditions, in violation of Speaker Ryan’s promise to Americans. It also guts the ObamaCare essential protections provisions.
Getting rid of protection for people with pre-existing conditions was key for the Freedom Caucus to announce support of the bill. Like before, the bill is expected to kick about 24 million people off health care coverage, and about 50 million by 2020. And just as before, the CBO has not scored this bill, so Republicans will be voting for legislation which they don’t know much about.
Should the bill to repeal and “replace” ObamaCare fail once again, so-called moderates in the GOP this time will shoulder the “blame” for failing to keep their promise.Â
The majority of Americans, a number that continues to increase, do not want ObamaCare repealed.