If the ACA is overturned, one in four Connecticut adults could lose coverage due to a pre-existing condition

A new report from the Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that 529,000 non-elderly adults (24%) in Connecticut have pre-existing health conditions that could affect their ability to get or afford health insurance if the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is overturned. Researchers estimate that 27% of non-elderly adult Americans have a health condition and 45% of families have at least one member with a pre-existing health condition. Almost half (44%) of Americans ages 55 to 64 years, who already pay the highest premiums, are estimated to have a pre-existing condition. Examples of pre-existing conditions include Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, hepatitis, and hemophilia. The ACA prohibited insurers from considering health status in making coverage decisions or setting premiums. Currently a lawsuit testing the ACA, Texas v. Azar, is moving through the courts. If the ACA is invalidated, insurers would again be able to use pre-existing conditions in health insurance decision-making. While most Americans, including people with pre-existing health conditions, are covered by employer coverage or Medicaid which do not discriminate based on health status, many people must rely on the individual market where the ACA now protects them from being denied care or charged higher premiums because of their health status.