The latest version of house American Health Care Act went public less than 24 hours before it passed. Even lawmakers who voted for it admit they have not read the bill. Experts, healthcare advocates, and Capitol Hill staff, tell us they still have big questions about the bill.
What we know for sure: We know you win if you're wealthy or an insurance provider. This bill would cut taxes that fund Obamacare.
- We know you win if you're a big company. They would be able to opt out of requirements to give insurance.
- The bill would let you stay on your parents' insurance until your 26. That was a big part of Obamacare.
- But this calls for a change in rates for seniors. They could be charged maybe 5 times as much as say an 18-year-old.
We do not know one big thing: Exactly how this would impact those with pre-existing conditions. This bill would allow states to bypass federal baselines for coverage. Instead, states could set their own standards. States could put those with serious illnesses in high risk pools. Opponents say federal funding set aside would cover only five percent of people with a pre-existing condition.
We really don't know the big picture. We don’t know what this cost Americans in terms of premiums and what this will cost them in terms of coverage. This passed before an analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. It said older forms of this plan would cause 24 million Americans to lose coverage.
