By April Hamlin
House
Republicans managed to pass their healthcare bill on May 4, just barely, and it
is truly a despicable piece of legislation.
The
right-wing nutjobs who have taken over the Republican party, AKA the Freedom
Caucus, refused to vote in favor of the bill as long as Obamacare’s protections
for pre-existing conditions remained intact. So, the GOP said the hell with it
and gutted protections for the sick in order to gain their votes.
Think it can’t get any worse? WRONG. As if taking health care
from 24 million people and removing protections for pre-existing conditions
isn’t bad enough, what qualifies as a pre-existing condition is even worse.
Among
possible pre-existing conditions that could result in outrageous premiums
are rape and sexual assault. Seriously. Rape.
The new MacArthur-Meadows Amendment will allow states to discriminate based on medical history, reportedly without addressing the subsequent high cost of health care for millions of Americans.In addition to rape, postpartum depression, cesarean sections, and surviving domestic violence are all considered preexisting conditions. Companies can also deny coverage for gynecological services and mammograms.
The
amendment also says that “Nothing in this Act shall be construed as
permitting health insurance issuers to discriminate in rates for health
insurance coverage by gender.”
But,
ummm, did you look at what qualifies as a pre-existing condition? Insurance
companies don’t have to cover “gynecological services and mammograms” that
screen for cancer?
How
many men are gonna need a C-section? How many men have postpartum depression?
How many men need a pap smear to check for cervical cancer?
Seems
pretty damn obvious that being a woman is a pre-existing condition itself.
Paul
Ryan and Donald Trump have tried to claim that pre-existing conditions are
covered, but that isn’t exactly the truth. The “MacArthur-Meadows
amendment” would allow states to opt out of federal regulations and allow
insurance companies to charge higher premiums for people who have pre-existing
conditions.
Since
this was the law of the land before the Affordable Care Act, we know what
happens when you give insurance companies this option: they set premiums so
high that sick people are priced out of insurance coverage altogether.
So
now, besides the shame, fear, and trauma that have traditionally kept women
from seeking medical care after they are sexually assaulted, rape victims now
get to worry that they will lose their health insurance if they get help. What
the actual f*ck is wrong with these people? This is as disgusting as it gets.
Author April Hamlin has studied
political science, psychology, and philosophy. Back in the good old days she
was a reporter for “old fashioned” print newspapers. In addition to news and
politics, she also blogs about service dogs and disability advocacy. As a black
woman with a disability, she is fed up with the right-wingers who would prefer
that she and others like her didn’t exist.