Pre-Existing Conditions - If You're over 50, You Haz 'Em. [View all]

[MineralMan]

If you're taking a statin drug to lower cholesterol, you have a pre-existing condition. If you're on even a low dose of blood pressure medication, you have a pre-existing condition. If your doctor has told you that you might be pre-diabetic, it's the same story. If you're taking an anti-depressant medication or any other psychiatric meds, you have a pre-existing condition. If you're a woman of any age, odds are high that you have some pre-existing condition, even something like mild osteoporosis. As far as the insurance companies are concerned, just about everyone past 50 is almost certain to have some pre-existing condition.

Health insurance companies have used that pre-existing condition excuse to raise health insurance rates for a very long time. ACA stopped them from refusing coverage, but any repeal is likely to remove that very important factor.

So, if you're talking to someone over 50 who wants Obamacare to be repealed and replaced by some Republican healthcare bill, remind them that they almost certainly have a pre-existing condition. Help them to understand that they may be at risk from an ACA repeal.