A Republican congressman said Monday that an amendment to the GOP’s American Health Care Act would require sicker people to pay more in insurance costs than people “who lead good lives.”
In an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper Monday, Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL) was asked about an amendment he supports to Republicans’ health care effort that would allow states to opt out of health- and age-based pricing protections required by Obamacare, if they established high-risk pools or other equivalent measures in their place.
Opponents of the amendment say it would lead to higher costs for sicker, older people. Brooks granted that.
“My understanding is that it will allow insurance companies to require people who have higher health care costs to contribute more to the insurance pool that helps offset all these costs, thereby reducing the cost to those people who lead good lives, they’re healthy, you know, they are doing the things to keep their bodies healthy,” he said. “And right now, those are the people who have done things the right way that are seeing their costs skyrocketing.”
A spokesperson for Brooks did not immediately respond to TPM’s questions about the remark.
“Now in fairness, a lot of these people with pre-existing conditions, they have those conditions through no fault of their own, and I think our society under those circumstances needs to help,” Brooks continued. “The challenge though is that it’s a tough balancing act between the higher cost of these mandates which denies people coverage because they can’t afford the health insurance policies anymore on the one and and having enough coverage to help those people who are truly in need, and it’s a very complicated question, and I’m sure over the years there will be different permutations of it, both in the past as we go forward.”
Here’s an idea: Why don’t we fund healthcare by taxing gun owners? A hundred thousand Americans are shot every year, and each of them is shot by a gun owner.
They’re causing damage, which means, by definition, they are not leading “good lives.”
Might as well have them pony up. You want a gun? You’ll have to pay a $1000 healthcare tax.
Good lives? Just who is going to make that determination? The insurance companies or guys like you?
On MPT Daily today, Katy Tur interviewed Rep. Chris Collins of New York, who immediately guaranteed that his constituents would have preexisting coverage guaranteed at no higher costs. When she asked how, he launched into how great New York state law requires coverage and has all these great guarantees for New York citizens. When Katy asked about people in other states, he said there were limited waivers, and high risk pools, but it wouldn’t be that bad, etc.
Asses.
“thereby reducing the cost to those people who lead good lives,”
So all people who get cancer, sick, or get shot by stray bullets do not lead “good” lives. Got it. And if you are Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama you are automatically an asshole.
See above.
The party of Hate.