Dianne Feinstein Opens Barrett Hearings a Great Big Whopper About Preexisting Conditions

[Geee]

PJ Media

Feinstein asserts that more than 130 million Americans will lose preexisting coverage if the ACA is repealed. Not all Americans will lose preexisting condition coverage. In the 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA), employer-based plans were barred from denying coverage or charging higher premiums based on health status, including gender and age.

 

It also put into place rules about preexisting conditions. Pregnancy is no longer allowed to be considered one, and it only applies to conditions if a person is diagnosed within the six-month period before obtaining coverage. The maximum waiting period to receive coverage for the condition is 12 months. If you change employers, as long as the coverage gap is not greater than 63 days, it is illegal to impose any preexisting coverage exclusion on your new employer plan. COBRA coverage is also mandated if you leave or lose the job that provided insurance to ensure you can cover any gap greater than 60 days at your employer’s full negotiated premium.

Further, according to FactCheck.org, 6% of Americans get their insurance through the individual market. Meanwhile, 49% get their insurance through employer-based plans. Those Americans would immediately receive the protections under HIPPA for preexisting conditions. HIPPA could easily be amended to eliminate waiting periods in the six-month window that currently exists. The remaining Americans are covered by Medicare and Medicaid, which have their own rules regarding coverage.

[Valin]