House Republicans unveiled new legislation on Monday to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. While much of the new healthcare plan dismantles many of the ACA’s key provisions, some of the original framework has been kept in place. Here are the elements of Obamacare that will remain under the GOP’s proposed healthcare bill, which is called the American Health Care Act.
Dependent coverage until 26 — Under the ACA, a child can be added to their parents’ healthcare plan until they turn 26. The Republicans’ plan keeps the same measure.
“The American Health Care Act is a plan to drive down costs, encourage competition, and give every American access to quality, affordable health insurance,” Speaker of the House Paul Ryan said in a statement. “It protects young adults, patients with pre-existing conditions, and provides a stable transition so that no one has the rug pulled out from under them.”
Pre-existing conditions policy — Under the ACA, insurers cannot deny coverage or charge extra if someone has a pre-existing medical condition such as heart disease or cancer. The ACHA has a similar policy in place but there is a significant stipulation: it requires “continuous coverage,” meaning that if a patient goes more than 63 consecutive days without insurance, they’ll be required to pay a 30%-premium penalty every month for a full year until they can receive a standard rate again.
https://twitter.com/seankent/status/838895811488591873
This will only change for people who have a lapse in their coverage.
Essential health benefits — The ACA requires all insurers to offer 10 “essential health benefits,” including maternity care, mental health treatment and physical therapy. The ACHA will keep those requirements in place.
Prohibitions on annual and lifetime limits — Like Obamacare, the ACHA also prohibits insurers from putting an annual or lifetime dollar limit on how much benefits a patient can receive.
