Trumpcare high risk disaster

The Republicans in Congress are toying with the idea of replacing the "no denial for pre-existing conditions" part of Obamacare with a "high risk pool". This means that if you have a pre-existing condition you will not qualify for normal health insurance, will be denied normal health insurance, and will be put into a high risk pool - and no doubt pay a "high risk" monthly premium.

In my younger days I was denied health coverage for a pre-existing condition in California and the state's high risk pool was the ONLY place I could get health coverage. My monthly high risk pool premium was $1,800 a month. $1,800? A month? Yes. This was unaffordable for most people, with or without pre-existing conditions. And that $1,800 a month premium was in 2012. Based on that how much would current health insurance in a high risk pool cost today? If the high risk pool concept was implemented today would people with pre-existing conditions have to pay a monthly high risk premium of $3,000? $4,000? $5,000?

And, if the high risk pool concept is implemented, what pre-existing conditions would be excluded from normal health insurance and placed into a mandatory high risk/high premium pool by the insurance companies? Diabetes? High blood pressure? Opioid addiction? Obesity? Pregnancy? Pot smoking? Erectile Dysfunction? Who among us is in perfect health?

Do NOT do a high risk pool. The insurance industry will be able to take advantage of it and jack high risk premiums up well beyond people's ability to pay. The high risk pool will backfire and create many adverse health care coverage problems, not to mention generating much animosity towards Congress, the Republicans and the President who supported the high risk insurance pool idea. Animosity from many millions of "high risk" Americans. High risk pool? High risk for disaster!



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