GOP’s Plan to Repeal the Affordable Care Act Will Put 266K Louisiana Kids at Risk of Being Dropped from Coverage
BATON ROUGE — Louisiana Republicans like Steve Scalise and John Fleming refuse to back down from their plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act, despite the fact that the law is protecting 1.9 million Louisianians with pre-existing conditions — including 266,000 kids — from being denied coverage by the insurance companies.
“When Steve Scalise and John Fleming say they want to repeal the Affordable Care Act, what they mean is they want to return to the days when the insurance companies could deny coverage to millions of Louisianians who have pre-existing conditions,” said Louisiana Democratic Party Executive Director Stephen Handwerk. “The Affordable Care Act protects Louisiana families, but Scalise and Fleming can’t wait to strip away those protections and give the insurance companies free rein to charge families more or kick them off their coverage simply because their kid had strep throat last year or suffers from asthma.”
Because of the health care reform law, for the first time insurance companies will be prohibited from denying health coverage for the up to 129 million Americans — including up to 1,952,000 in Louisiana — with pre-existing conditions such as cancer, high blood pressure or diabetes. Insurance companies will also no longer be able to charge higher premiums based on health status or history.
Before the Affordable Care Act, more than one-third of those who shopped for health insurance in the individual market were turned down or charged more because of a pre-existing condition, which is part of the reason nearly six in 10 found it difficult to get affordable coverage.
For more on how the Affordable Care Act is already improving health care for Louisianians, visit:
https://live-ladems.pantheonsite.io/2013/08/30/aca-in-la/
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