As Republicans continue to scramble to put in a replacement for the Affordable Care Act — known as Obamacare — one topic of debate has been coverage for people with preexisting conditions. But according to Republican Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama, “people who lead good lives” don’t have to worry about preexisting conditions and should not have to pay more for medical insurance.
“My understanding is that [the new proposal] will allow insurance companies to require people who have higher health care costs to contribute more to the insurance pool,” Brooks said in an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper on Monday. “That helps offset all these costs, thereby reducing the cost to those people who lead good lives, they’re healthy, they’ve done the things to keep their bodies healthy. And right now, those are the people — who’ve done things the right way — that are seeing their costs skyrocketing.”
Brooks is a member of the House Freedom Caucus, a conservative group of House Republicans that largely influenced the flop of the Republicans’ first health care bill. Many conservative Republicans wanted to fully repeal Obamacare’s “essential health benefits,” which include required coverage for people with chronic illnesses. In the latest bill floating around, Republicans are considering giving states an option to be waived out of offering essential benefits.
