Many people may be aware that the Department of Justice under AG Barr has joined suit with Conservative AGs to have the Supreme Court declare the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional.
The ACA, known to most as Obamacare, was enacted over a seven-year period of time, adding various benefits and consumer protections along the path to full implementation in 2017, when the exchanges finally opened up. For the states that took the Medicaid expansion, including Ohio under Governor Kasich, it has been life-saving for millions.
It is important to be honest about the full extent of what we may ALL lose should the suit to dismantle succeed.
1) Every person now covered by Medicaid, Medicare, private, public, employer-based, healthcare will lose basic and critical consumer protections.
Much has been said about the loss of being able to get insurance even with pre-existing conditions. We can no longer be dropped should we or any member of our insured household be born with or develop a “pre-existing” condition. Insurance companies can no longer refuse to provide coverage based on pre-existing conditions. Consider how the questions will now include Covid-19. Have you or any member of your household had Covid-19 or been exposed to someone who tested positive?
2) More critical will be the loss of no more annual caps or lifetime caps. Again, imagine what kinds of medical bills are about to mount up for persons who have been seriously impacted by Covid-19. How many bankruptcies are we preparing to experience, even now, without this protection?
3) Expanded, no co-pay, annual well-care exams. For women these include mammograms and cervical exams. For everyone, dexi-scans and colonoscopies as indicated, etc.
4) For Medicare patients, not only do we get no co-pay annual well-care exams, the infamous “donut hole” for prescriptions provides 50% off while in the “hole.”
5) Children and dependents under 26 stay on the parental policy whether they are matriculating in post high school education or not.
These are just a few of the consumer protections that are key parts of the ACA.
So, why would the DOJ, that faithful lapdog to this Administration, join suit to dismantle the ACA, in a move that will affect every person in this country? Once again, you may need to follow the money, especially the corporate donor money.
Elaine Silverstrim
Wilmington
