The Congressional Budge Office (CBO) has not released its findings on the new Zombie-Trumpcare 3.0 but the AARP has a pretty good idea what will happen if Republicans are able to do away with the pre-existing condition clause in the Affordable Care Act.
State high-risk pools may sound like a good idea but, in reality, they are fraught with problems. One of the biggest lessons learned from experience with state high-risk pools: They bring steep premiums that put coverage out of reach for millions. In the past, monthly premiums in state high-risk pools could be up to 200 percent higher than in the individual (nongroup) market. Consequently, only a small fraction of those with preexisting conditions could afford to buy a plan. Yet, these premiums — high as they were — only covered about half the amount needed to pay enrollee claims. Most states tried to close the financial gap through taxes on providers and government subsidies, but even those efforts proved insufficient. We project that if states return to pre-ACA high-risk pools in 2019, as proposed, high-risk pool premiums for people with preexisting conditions could be as high as $25,700 annually.
That doesn’t include the fact that another issue facing people in “high-risk” pools is that their private insurance sucks, and usually won’t even cover the actual pre-existing condition you need covered for at least 6-12 months. You’ll have to just pray away that cancer while you wait. I hear that Paul Ryan and Donald Trump have great healthcare, if that’s any consolation.