As the U.S. Senate takes up another bill to replace the Affordable Care Act, a West Virginia University health policy expert says states will lose more than $80 billion annually in 2026, a precursor to a combined loss of $300 billion the next year, as the Medicaid expansion is rolled back. Insurance market protections for people with pre-existing conditions and a strict per capita cap on Medicaid payments are also part of the package, according to WVU’s Simon Haeder.

Simon Haeder Assistant Professor John D. Rockefeller IV School of Policy & Politics West Virginia University

“(Graham-Cassidy) also would eliminate, or at the very least give states the opportunity to eliminate, major insurance regulations that came out of the Affordable Care Act. This includes essential health benefits, that is the requirement for insurers to cover things like prescription drugs and maternity care, and it also allows insurers to charge people with pre-existing conditions more. For pregnant women that would amount to more than $17,000 in surcharges every year.”

 

Simon Haeder audio file (1:20)

Simon Haeder audio file (:55)

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-WVU-

pp/09/20/17