A top Trump administration official ended up conceding on Sunday that individuals with pre-existing medical conditions might end up with higher premiums under the latest effort by Senate Republicans to repeal the Affordable Care Act. On “Fox News Sunday,” host Chris Wallace pressed White House director of legislative affairs about a provision in the GOP repeal bill that would allow states to seek a waiver from rules barring insurers from charging people with pre-existing conditions higher premiums. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, has been enthusiastically embraced by President Donald Trump but appears to face long odds of passing. Wallace insisted that without a clearer definition of “adequate and affordable” coverage, the White House and congressional Republicans were opening the door for people with pre-existing conditions to pay significantly more in premiums because of their health histories. Short responded with bromides about devolving federal power to the states, but little in the way of substance disputing Wallace’s characterization of the bill.

Source: Huffington Post September 24, 2017 20:48 UTC