As a result of their unique mix of callousness and political incompetence, House Republicans have already lost the public debate on repealing the Affordable Care Act, particularly as it pertains to cutting protections for people with preexisting conditions. Despite all the talk of “amendments” and “changes,” the current Repeal & Ripoff bill still cuts insurance for 24 million Americans, raises costs, and slaps an age-tax on people over 50. And according to Fred Upton, author of the much-ridiculed so-called Upton Amendment, “more money does not do the trick” to help people with preexisting conditions under this repeal bill.
“House Republicans lost the debate on protecting people with preexisting conditions a long time ago – and putting lipstick on the pig at the last minute does nothing to change that fact,” said DCCC Spokesman Tyler Law. “If vulnerable Republicans decide to toe the party line as a result of this amendment they are exposing just how little they care about keeping their promises on preexisting conditions, and they should be prepared to lose in 2018.”
Let’s look at how people view the latest repeal push…
The experts:
- AARP: “Upton amendment = ‘protection’ for patients with pre-existing conditions in name only”
- Brookings Institute: Upton Amendment is a “drop in the bucket”
- Center for Budget & Policy Priorities: Upton Amendment is “grossly inadequate” and “absurdly low”
- Kaiser Family Foundation: the Amendment adds “a fraction of the millions with pre-existing conditions who are in the individual insurance market or uninsured”
- American College of Physicians: “this paltry increase in funding for high risk pools that are already grossly underfunded by the bill will not make coverage affordable for sick people.”
- Families USA: “‘Upton Amendment’ – Still Leaves People with Pre-Existing Conditions out in the Cold’
- Center for American Progress: Upton Amendment amounts to “chump change”
The polling:
- ABC poll: 61% of Americans want to keep the Affordable Care Act.
- ABC poll: 71% would like President Trump to make the existing law work.
- ABC poll: 55% of conservatives want a “nationwide standard for coverage of pre-existing conditions.
- NBC poll: 51% like the ACA the way it is or just want minor improvements.
- NBC poll: 50% of people have little to no confidence that Republican plans to repeal and replace the ACA will improve things.
- CNN poll: only 20% have faith the Republicans can actually repeal the ACA
- Public Policy Polling: repealing the ACA & defunding Planned Parenthood is opposed by a majority in 13 Clinton-won districts currently held by a Republican
- Morning Consult/ Politico poll: a majority of Republicans oppose letting states wave protections for people with preexisting conditions.