6 Insane Things About the New Healthcare Bill
It seems like just yesterday we were rejoicing over the fact that Trump and his cronies gave up on dismantling Obamacare, but today we took a major step back in the wrong direction.
This afternoon around 2 p.m., the House officially passed a Republican measure that would undo many aspects of Obamacare. The measure just barely passed, at 217-213, but it will now move to the Senate.
READ ALSO: Melania Faved a Tweet Mocking Donald Trump
There are a million things about the bill that should concern you, especially if you’re a woman, or you’re not rich, or you depend on your employer for health insurance. Here are some of the craziest.
1. Roughly 24 Million People Could Lose Healthcare
According to NPR, an earlier version of the same Republican measure that was just voted on would leave an estimated 24 million people without insurance. Meanwhile, nearly every other developed country has universal coverage for its citizens.
2. Planned Parenthood will be completely defunded for at least one year
Planned Parenthood will stop receiving Medicaid reimbursements for one year, unless they agree to stop offering abortions. Keep in mind, abortions have never been government funded. This cut would decrease Planned Parenthood’s funding by about $550 million a year, according to their report.
3. Rape and domestic abuse are pre-existing conditions
As Twitter users have pointed out, the GOP basically made being a woman a pre-existing with this bill, or as closely as they could. Basically, if you’ve ever gone to the hospital after a sexual assault or domestic abuse, your insurance rate could go up. As if women needed to be deterred from reporting rape even more than they already are.
READ ALSO: Guys Have the Worst Advice for How to Get Rid of a Creep
4. So Are Anemia and Depression
Okay, so basically everyone is going to have a pre-existing condition? I mean, not actually everyone, but anemia is ridiculously common and so is depression — especially in this political climate. Making things like this pre-existing conditions is going to make people never go to their doctors or be truthful about what’s going on with them.
4. Insurers don’t have to cover maternity care
Oh, you want to help continue the human race? Better be rich because healthcare shouldn’t have to cover your pregnancy.
This is so confusing, because Republicans seem to want women to have babies, since they’re anti-abortion, but then they also seem to want to deter women from getting pregnant with this part of the measure. So maybe they just want women to stop having sex? Granted, it’ll be easy to stop having sex with Republican dudes!
READ ALSO: Boob Highlighter Is Now Officially Happening
5. Insurers also don’t have to cover mental health care
Want to know a winning combo? Stop covering mental health care and start allowing mentally unstable people to buy guns.
The measure says states can choose whether or not they want insurers to cover maternity care and mental health care, something they all had to cover under Obamacare. Translation: states like Texas are probably fucked.
6. Big businesses don’t have to insure their employees
Obama’s previous mandate required large employers to offer affordable healthcare to their employees, the new measure will not penalize any employers who refuse to offer insurance to their employees. Basically, getting a job used to mean insurance, and if this passes it won’t.
