One-Term Wonder Congressman Bruce Poliquin (ME-02) just came out for a Republican health care plan that, according to a new report, would send us back to the days when insurance companies could deny benefits and block protections that are critical for middle class families. Sure enough, One-Term Wonder Congressman Poliquin has taken $28,050 from the insurance industry in his short time in public life. It doesn’t take much imagination to see where his true priorities really lie.
The Poliquin backed plan would:
• Let insurance companies deny health benefits like trips to the emergency room, maternity care, and coverage of prescription drugs
• Allow insurance companies to discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions if they’ve lost their job
• Make it easier for people to go bankrupt because of an illness by letting insurers impose annual limits on coverage
• Let some insurance companies drop children off their parents plans before they turn 26
• And, the plan would make employees pay more federal income taxes on their employer-provided health benefits.
“One-Term Wonder Congressman Poliquin has only been in Washington for one month but he’s already sold out our health care to big insurance companies,” said Josh Schwerin at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “The Poliquin plan would let insurance companies discriminate against seniors and charge them more, limit annual coverage even if you get a catastrophic illness, and go back to the days where people couldn’t get health insurance coverage if they have a pre-existing condition and lost their job. Middle class Maine families fall behind under Congressman Poliquin’s plan but insurance companies get even more controls and even more ways to profit.”
BACKGROUND
Poliquin’s Plan Would Let Insurers Deny Essential Health Benefits- Like Maternity Care, Trips to the Emergency Room, Preventive Services and Prescription Drug Coverage. The Washington Post reported: “Insurers would no longer be required to cover a set of 10 essential health benefits as they are under the ACA, but some ACA elements are kept in place.” Essential health benefits under the Affordable Care Act include outpatient and inpatient care, trips to the emergency room, maternity care, mental health and substance abuse services, coverage of prescription drugs, therapy for injuries or disabilities, lab tests, preventive services and pediatric services. [Washington Post, 2/04/15; HealthCare.gov, 8/22/13]
Poliquin’s Plan Would Allow Insurers to Discriminate against Pre-Existing Conditions if Coverage has Lapsed. “This GOP plan also prevents insurers from charging sicker patients more, but with an important caveat. Under this plan, the lawmakers envision a one-time enrollment period to get adjusted to this new coverage scheme. After that, as long as you are continuously enrolled in coverage – and that includes switching insurance if you get a new job, for instance – insurers can’t consider your medical history. But if you let your coverage lapse for a couple of months, insurers are allowed to take this into account.” [Washington Post, 2/04/15]
Poliquin’s Plan Would Let States Opt Out of Forcing Insurers to Allow Young Adults to Stay on Parents’ Plans. “Insurers would still be prohibited from imposing lifetime limits on coverage. Plans would be required to offer dependent coverage up to age 26, although a state could opt out of enforcing that provision.” [Kaiser Health News, 2/05/15]
Poliquin’s Plan Would Let Insurers Place Annual Limits on Coverage. “In a move to control insurance premiums, the Republican blueprint would scrap most requirements on health plans in the current law, including mandates on what benefits they must offer and a prohibition on annual limits on coverage. (The plan maintains the current ban on lifetime limits on coverage.)” [Los Angeles Times, 2/04/15]
Poliquin’s Plan Would Create Tax on Employer Health Benefits. “Their plan includes a potentially explosive proposal: Workers would have to pay federal income tax on the value of employer-provided health benefits that exceed certain annual thresholds — $12,000 for individuals and $30,000 for families. Health benefits above those levels would be treated and taxed as regular income for the employee. The thresholds would increase over time.” [New York Times, 2/04/15]