{"id":80438,"date":"2017-05-04T05:22:29","date_gmt":"2017-05-04T09:22:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/?p=80438"},"modified":"2017-05-03T18:48:53","modified_gmt":"2017-05-03T22:48:53","slug":"letter-latest-amendment-does-nothing-for-people-with-preexisting-conditions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/?p=80438","title":{"rendered":"LETTER: Latest amendment does nothing for people with preexisting conditions"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>To the Editor<\/em>:<\/p>\n

As a result of their unique mix of callousness and political incompetence, House Republicans have already lost the public debate on repealing the Affordable Care Act, particularly as it pertains to cutting protections for people with preexisting conditions.<\/p>\n

Despite all the talk of \u201camendments\u201d and \u201cchanges,\u201d the current Repeal & Ripoff bill still cuts insurance for 24 million Americans, raises costs, and slaps an age-tax on people over 50.<\/p>\n

And according<\/a> to Fred Upton, author of the much-ridiculed so-called Upton Amendment, \u201cmore money does not do the trick\u201d to help people with preexisting conditions under this repeal bill.<\/u><\/u><\/p>\n

<\/u>House Republicans lost the debate on protecting people with preexisting conditions a long time ago \u2013 and putting lipstick on the pig at the last minute does nothing to change that fact. If vulnerable Republicans decide to toe the party line as a result of this amendment they are exposing just how little they care about keeping their promises on preexisting conditions, and they should be prepared to lose in 2018.\u201d<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at how people view the latest repeal push:<\/u><\/p>\n

The experts:<\/u><\/p>\n