THREAD: ACAP vs. Treasury, our lawsuit challenging junk insurance plans, will be heard over the phone today by the Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit. The threat to public health we face right now is so menacing we cannot make our arguments in person. ow.ly/IFAW50yQVyJ
Today the Administration will argue that #junkinsurance plans are a good idea but we’ve already seen how these plans operate when they come into contact with health need.
Like this Miami man who, when he tried to get tested for coronavirus, was stuck with a bill for thousands of dollars until news stories shamed his junk plan into covering what it should have all along. hrld.us/3a9HXjN
See also: *Any* of the patient stories on this page. #stopjunkinsurance bit.ly/2xNngvF
It’s ironic that today’s arguments happen just days before the tenth anniversary of the Affordable Care Act becoming law. The #ACA came about because of extreme dysfunction in the individual health insurance market— dysfunction junk plans keep alive. #ProtectOurCare
The #ACA provides protections against discrimination on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions; today, the Administration defends the ability of junk insurance plans to deny coverage on the basis of pre-existing conditions.
The #ACA provides for a comprehensive set of essential benefits – like coverage for vaccines, inpatient hospitalization, and prescription drugs. Junk plans pick and choose the benefits they will cover. Accordingly, few cover pregnancy, prescription drugs, or mental health.
The #ACA prohibits annual or lifetime limits on coverage. Today, the Administration will defend junk plans’ severe limits on coverage, after which members are left to fend for themselves.
The #ACA mandates that plans spend at least 85 cents of every dollar received in premium on health benefits, and rebate the difference to their membership. Junk plans keep, on average, about half of their premiums to themselves. In one case, a plan kept 91 cents of every dollar.
The #COVID19 pandemic is teaching us a lot about ourselves, and it’s providing clear evidence that a strong health care system matters.
For 10 years, the #ACA has prepared us for this moment by, among other things, sharply reducing the proportion of Americans who have no health insurance, guaranteeing consumer protections, and investing heavily in prevention and public health.
In light of all the challenges of today, why does the Administration take drastic action to shore up our health care system with one hand, while at the same time actively work to undermine it with the other? #stopjunkinsurance ow.ly/IFAW50yQVyJ
