Derek Merrin: Repealing The Affordable Care Act Would End Coverage Protections For Almost 300,000 OH-09 Residents With Pre-Existing Conditions

2014: The Affordable Care Act Barred Insurance Companies From Denying Coverage To People With Pre-Existing Conditions, Refusing To Cover Costs Associated With Such Conditions, And Charging Higher Premiums To Those With Pre-Existing Conditions

NPR: Before The Affordable Care Act, It Was Legal For Health Insurers To Deny Coverage To People With Pre-Existing Conditions. “A ‘preexisting condition’ refers to any health issue someone has before they sign up for a health insurance policy — from high blood pressure to pregnancy to allergies. Before the Affordable Care Act, it was perfectly legal for health insurers to deny coverage to people with such conditions. An estimate from the Kaiser Family Foundation suggests that about 54 million people have conditions that — without legal protections — could prompt health insurers to deny them policies. Polls show this is one of the most popular provisions of the law, across the political spectrum.” [NPR, 10/27/20]

January 2014: ACA Regulations Preventing Insurance Companies From Refusing To Cover Costs Related To Pre-Existing Conditions Went Into Effect. “Insurers pursue multiple strategies to reduce the cost of covering enrollees with pre-existing conditions, or medical conditions and health problems that existed before the individual enrolled in a health plan. One strategy, the pre-existing condition exclusion, allows insurers to refuse to cover any costs associated with care for a pre-existing condition permanently or over a period of time. Beginning January 1, 2014, insurers in the individual and group markets will be prohibited from imposing pre-existing condition exclusions under the Affordable Care Act. This new fact sheet provides an overview of how pre-existing condition exclusions are regulated under current law, and how the ACA will change those regulations in 2014, enabling consumers to access necessary benefits and services beginning from their first day of coverage.” [KFF, 10/8/12]

2014: The Affordable Care Act Barred Insurers From Charging People With Pre-Existing Conditions Higher Premiums. “Beginning in 2014, the ACA barred insurers in the individual market from charging people higher premiums because of their health status or health conditions. Insurers can only adjust an individual’s premium by specific factors: age (within limits), geographic area, and tobacco use (also within limits). Before the ACA, people in the individual market frequently paid much higher premiums if they had pre-existing conditions. Often, a ‘standard’ premium rate would be established for a particular insurance product, and people could be charged a higher premium (‘rated up’) if they had health conditions or get a reduced premium (‘rated down’) if they were healthy.” [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 10/5/20]

Almost 300,000 Residents Of OH-09 Had Pre-Existing Conditions

2019: Center For American Progress Estimated 297,500 Non-Elderly Residents Of OH-09, Or 51% Of The Non-Elderly Population, Had Pre-Existing Conditions. [Center for American Progress, 10/2/19]

NOTE: The 2019 district level data from the Center for American Progress uses the district lines for the 116th Congress.

2020: Center For American Progress: If The ACA Were Repealed, 741,000 People In Ohio Would Lose Their Health Coverage, Raising The State’s Uninsured Rate Among The Non-Elderly From 7.4% To 15.2%. “A ruling that invalidates the ACA or eliminates core features of the law would have a devastating effect on American families. Select your state from the drop-down list below to see some of the harms that would result from ACA repeal. 41,000 people in Ohio would lose coverage, raising the state's uninsured rate among the nonelderly population from 7.4 percent to 15.2 percent.” [Center for American Progress, 3/2/20]

March 2020: Center For American Progress Estimated 135.4 Million Americans, Including 4.8 Million Residents Of Ohio, With Pre-Existing Conditions Would Face Higher Premiums Statewide If The ACA Were Repealed. [Center for American Progress, 3/2/20]