The House just passed Trumpcare 2.0, formally titled the American Health Care Act (AHCA), by a 217-213 margin. Despite the public’s depressing 17 percent approval rating of the first draft, the new version of AHCA trudged through, with all but 20 Republicans voting in favor of the bill. Two of those Republicans are Ohio representatives: Mike Turner and David Joyce.
If the bill is passed by Senate, AHCA will cut funding for healthcare coverage for Americans by 25 percent. That reduction means higher premiums for older people and Americans with pre-existing conditions. If the Senate passes the bill in its current form, AHCA will scrap Planned Parenthood’s funding and eliminate the Obamacare mandate which requires large employers to offer affordable coverage to workers.
In addition, the bill will leave it to the states to allow insurance companies to charge more for pre-existing conditions and to stop providing certain benefits, like maternity care, mental health services, and others.
Most notably, Trumpcare 2.0 will cut back on federal funding for Medicaid programs and cap how much federal government gives Medicaid employees per state. In Ohio, the bill will end Medicaid expansion funding.
As Trumpcare 2.0 awaits Senate— and the public holds their breath (oxygen is very valuable right now)— we’re taking a page from the Facebook users who made the “10 Bands I’ve Seen Live (But One Is A Lie)” meme so popular by trying a version of our own.
A list of 10 Ohioans who will lose their current health care coverage if Trumpcare 2.0 becomes law.
(Note: one of the answers listed below is a lie. Your guess which one it is.)
- The 700,000 Ohioans who have received health insurance under Medicaid expansion.
- The men and women who rely on Planned Parenthood to provide preventative care, STD testing, Pap tests, breast exams, among other federally funded services.
- Anyone who has had a lapse of insurance coverage lasting two months or more— insurers will be able to raise premiums by 30% for those who fall into this category.
- Members of Congress.
- Low-income people who buy insurance with Obamacare’s income-based tax credits.
- Employees who rely on the affordable coverage their large employer was required to provide.
- Someone with Multiple Sclerosis.
- Someone with Alzheimer’s or Dementia.
- Someone with cancer or who survived cancer.
- Someone with Parkinson’s Disease, or any other pre-existing condition: Insurance companies will be able to charge them a lot more for the same healthcare plan.
So who was the lie?
Let’s back up to 2010, when Section 1312(d)(3)(D) of Obamacare required members of Congress and their staff to use the same policy they pedaled to the American people.
Now, consider this provision striking the above section:
“Strikes “1312(d)(3)(D)” – concerning members of Congress and congressional staff – from the Specified Non-Application Provisions of the State waivers established by the MacArthur Amendment to American Health Care Act. If enacted, the bill would take effect upon enactment of the American Health Care Act. Each cross-section specified in the Non-Application Provisions of the American Health Care Act are the result of Senate consultation on avoiding procedural limitations of the U.S. Senate reconciliation process.”
Which can also seen here:
“(A) Specific Non-Application Provisions. —In no case may a waiver for purposes of paragraph (1) apply with respect to any of the following provisions:
…. ‘(ii) Sections 1312(d)(3)(D), 1331, 1332, 1333, and 1334 of such Act.”
What does this mean?
The same lawmakers who were required to use Obamacare are now excluded from Trumpcare 2.0’s waivers.
In the list above of people who will lose their current health care coverage, Answer 4. Members of Congress was the lie— but what about the lie told by those members of Congress?
Unfortunately, when it comes to Trumpcare 2.0, we might have to wait to discover the true extent of Congress’s deception.
