A coalition of Michigan health care providers warned today that the House bill to replace Obamacare, up for a vote within hours, will cost the state an additional $519 million a year to maintain coverage for those with pre-existing conditions.

Protect Michigan Care, which includes consumer and insurer organizations, said that the legislation known as Trumpcare would provide $342 million annually for coverage of pre-existing conditions. But that provision, based on an amendment offered by Michigan Congressman Fred Upton (R-St. Joseph), would fall far short of the $861 million price tag of offering insurance at a reasonable cost to these high-risk individuals, according to estimates compiled by the Center for American Progress.

That means the Legislature could have to come up with about a half billion dollars each year to fund the difference – or, provide affordable coverage for a small portion of the 30 percent of Michigan residents with existing health problems.

Upton

Pre-existing conditions constitutes a broad category that includes chronic conditions ranging from asthma and diabetes to cancer and multiple sclerosis.

“President Trump told Americans in January, ‘We’re gonna come up with a new plan that’s going to be better health care for more people at a lesser cost.’ This plan doesn’t do it. We urge all members of Congress to oppose it, and citizens who want to speak out to visit www.protectmicare.com to speak out,” said RoAnne Chaney, executive director of the Michigan Disability Rights Coalition. “People who experience having a disability, acquired or from birth, have and continue to contribute to our community and we all deserve better from our elected officials.”

The bill, labeled the American Health Care Act (AHCA), would end the Obamacare protections against singling out people with pre-existing conditions for expensive insurance costs. The new bill allows states to reduce premiums overall by putting those with pre-existing conditions into a “high-risk pool” or to devise some other means of charging them much higher premiums and out-of-pocket costs.

The Michigan Health & Hospital Association, the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network, the American Diabetes Association  and the American Lung Association are among the groups opposing the House plan.

“Rep. Fred Upton was opposed to the House plan, but now says he supports (it) after getting additional commitments for more funding for high-risk pools. But the reality is that the new funding still is far, far short of providing affordable insurance for individuals in the pool,” said Gilda Jacobs, president of the Michigan League for Public Policy, a coalition member.

Several news reports indicate that a little-noticed provision in the bill would essentially allow employers, who provide health care coverage to about half of all Americans, to also charge workers much higher premiums and deductibles if they, or a family member, has a pre-existing condition.

On another level, the AHCA would cut more than $800 billion from the Medicaid program, which provides services to the working poor, low income children, seniors and the disabled. It would end Gov. Rick Snyder’s Healthy Michigan program, which added 650,000 people to the Medicaid rolls.

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