In politics, memories tend to be short. However, it is critical that Republican Rep. Sean Duffy's constituents in Wisconsin remember what the congressman voted to do to them on May 4.
The American Health Care Act removes protections for those with pre-existing conditions, limiting their options in the insurance market or placing them in expensive, underfunded high-risk pools. These conditions run the gamut from cancer to pregnancy, C-sections and ear infections. Nearly 300,000 people in the 7th District have a pre-existing condition.
The AHCA strips $880 billion in Medicaid funding and transfers that money to the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans in the form of tax cuts. About 67,000 of Duffy's constituents are on Medicaid. Medicaid dollars are also used in school districts to provide services to students with disabilities. These cuts would also impact poorer seniors, dual eligible, who also use the service. About 168,000 Wisconsinites are dual eligible.
AHCA also contains a provision that would allow insurers to set lifetime caps for those who get their coverage from their employer. Those who get sick and reach their limit can once again be dropped, forcing them to go into debt if they wish to continue their care.
The bill is opposed by nearly all major medical groups, including the AARP, the American Cancer Society, the American Medical Association and the American Hospital Association. AHCA would also allow insurers to charge those in their 50s and 60s up to five times what they charge the young.
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Premiums for older Wisconsinites under the age of 65 could be over $10,000 a year.
Duffy also voted on the bill without a scoring by the Congressional Budget Office. This means the ultimate cost of a bill impacting one-sixth of America's economy was unknown.
The AHCA will hurt all but the wealthiest Wisconsinites. Nationally, more than 23 million people would lose their insurance. Do not forget what the congressman has done.
