From Acne to Heartburn to Rape, Health Care Bill "Pre-Existing Conditions" List Bad News

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Earlier this week, we sent a letter urging the U.S. House of Representatives to vote no on the Affordable Health Care Act. Unfortunately, the Republican-led House narrowly passed the bill despite widespead disapproval from voters.

There is a lot wrong with the legislation, also known as the ACA. But the list of what the bill considers "pre-existing conditions" is downright shameful and would mean unaffordable health care for many Americans - an estimated 130 million, including many Steelworkers and their families, according to Money Magazine.
 
Money reports that the American Health Care Act stipulates that states can allow insurers to charge people with pre-existing conditions more for health insurance - a practice banned under the current ACA law championed by former President Obama. Insurers would be able to hike up premiums to an unaffordable amount, effectively pricing people out of the market - as much as $25,700 for one person. 
 
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, “We estimate that 27 percent of adult Americans under the age of 65 have health conditions that would likely leave them uninsurable if they applied for individual market coverage under pre-ACA underwriting practices that existed in nearly all states.” Many of these people are currently covered by employer-provided plans but now are at risk.

Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown shared an extensive list of common conditions that could prevent people from getting health care under the  legislation, which now moves to the U.S. Senate for a vote. 

"If you have a pre-existing condition, you might be charged a lot more for your health insurance under the House Republican healthcare plan," Brown Tweeted.

The list of these conditions include:

  • AIDS/HIV 
  • Acid reflux
  • Acne
  • ADD
  • Addiction 
  • Alzheimer's/dementia 
  • Anemia
  • Aneurysm 
  • Angioplasty
  • Anorexia
  • Anxiety
  • Arrhythmia
  • Arthritis
  • Asthma
  • Atrial fibrillation
  • Autism
  • Bariatric surgery
  • Basal cell carcinom
  • Bipolar disorder
  • Blood clot
  • Breast cancer
  • Bulimia
  • Bypass surgery
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral aneurysm
  • Cerebral embolism
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Cerebral thrombosis
  • Cervical cancer
  • Colon cancer
  • Colon polyps
  • Congestive heart failure
  • COPD
  • Crohn's disease
  • Domestic Violence
  • Gout
  • Heart disease
  • Heart murmur
  • Heartburn
  • Hemophilia
  • Hepatitis C
  • Herpes
  • High cholesterol
  • Hypertension
  • Hysterectomy
  • Kidney disease
  • Kidney stones
  • Kidney transplant
  • Leukemia
  • Lung cancer 
  • Lupus
  • Lymphoma 
  • Mental health issues
  • Migraines
  • Muliple Sclorosis (MS)
  • Muscular dystrophy
  • Narcolepsy
  • Nasal polyps
  • Obesity
  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
  • Organ transplant
  • Osteoporosis
  • Pacemaker
  • Panic disorder
  • Paralysis
  • Paraplegia
  • Parkinson's Disease
  • Pregnancy
  • Rape/Sexual Assault
  • Restless Leg Syndrome
  • Schizophrenia
  • Seasonal Affective Disorder
  • Seizures
  • Sickle Cell Disease
  • Skin Cancer
  • Sleep Apnea
  • Sleep Disorders
  • Stent
  • Stroke
  • Thyroid issues
  • Tooth disease
  • Tuberculosis
  • Ulcers

 

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