The Republican Proposed American Healthcare Act failed to gather enough support last week in Congress, and that had some healthcare consumer groups relieved for older adults who they say could have faced great burden.
David Lipschutz, senior policy attorney with the Center for Medicare Advocacy says that the Affordable Care Act has helped reduce the uninsured rate for people ages 50-64. He says that the GOP proposed American Healthcare Act that Republicans walked away from last week would represent a major regression in health insurance coverage in our country for older adults by changing age-rating rules.
“The three-to-one age ratio would be replaced by a five-to-one age ratio, and the bill would allow states to go even further than this, something that many people are already referring to as an age tax,” says Lipschutz.
The Congressional Budget Office released a report on the bill estimated 24 million people would not be covered by health insurance by 2026 due to changes in Medicaid funding formulas and repealing the individual mandate.
Carol Regan, Senior Advisor at Community Catalyst for Consumer Engagement in Health Innovation says The American Healthcare Act would have resulted in less federal funding for Medicaid. She says that could have impact older adults who depend on the program’s funding for long-term care.
“62 percent goes to long-term care. That pays for about seven million seniors. It pays for about 60 percent of all nursing home residents,” says Regan.
Regan also says that with more people over the last 20 years receiving care at home, less funding from Medicaid may impact home care.
“People get fewer hours of personal care, people get fewer hours a week, fewer services, and that can really affect people’s ability to stay at home,” says Regan.
If the American Healthcare Act would have been voted on and passed into law, Regan says it also could have placed more burdens on 18 million family caregivers across the country; she says caregivers already carry a financial and emotional burden.
