Not only did Republicans just announce an amendment to their destructive healthcare repeal bill that will allow health insurance companies to charge higher premiums on people with pre-existing conditions, but they named it after its architect: Representative Tom MacArthur.
Make no mistake: the MacArthur Amendment breaks years of Republican promises—including those from MacArthur himself—that any replacement would keep protections for people with pre-existing conditions. The MacArthur Amendment allows states to waive the so-called community rating provision, the rule that prevents health insurance companies from charging higher premiums based on pre-existing conditions.
“Apparently the original Republican repeal bill wasn’t cruel enough for Representative Tom MacArthur,” said DCCC Spokesman Evan Lukaske. “A week after claiming he’d never support legislation that would not cover preexisting conditions, MacArthur is leading the charge to let health insurance companies essentially do just that by pricing those individuals out of the market. This shameful amendment deserves to bear his name.”