CNN.com is reporting that under the American Health Care Act (AHCA) several chronic respiratory disorders may be considered pre-existing conditions and may allow patients to be charged higher rates for insurance.
The House of Representatives passed the AHCA on May 4, 2017 by a vote of 217 to 213 and the bill is now awaiting debate in the Senate.
Under the bill, some conditions like COPD, sleep apnea, and asthma, which affect millions of Americans, may be considered pre-existing conditions, CNN reports. In addition to these respiratory disorders, conditions like obesity, acne, depression, and even pregnancy could potentially be added to the list, CNN reports.
According to CNN, the following illnesses and disorders were considered pre-existing conditions prior to Obamacare:
- AIDS or ARC
- Acromegaly
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
- Anemia (Aplastic, Cooley’s, Hemolytic, Mediterranean or Sickle Cell)
- Aortic or Mitral Valve Stenosis
- Arteriosclerosis
- Arteritis
- Asbestosis
- Cancer
- Cardiomyopathy
- Cerebral Palsy (infantile)
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
- Cirrhosis of the Liver
- Coagulation Defects
- Congestive Heart Failure
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Demyelinating Disease
- Dermatomyositis
- Diabetes
- Dialysis
- Esophageal Varicosities
- Friedreich’s Ataxia
- Hepatitis (Type B, C or Chronic)
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Myasthenia Gravis
- Obesity
- Organ transplants
- Paraplegia
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Polycythemia Vera
- Pregnancy
- Psoriatic Arthritis
- Pulmonary Fibrosis
- Renal Failure
- Sarcoidosis
- Scleroderma
- Sjogren’s Syndrome
- Tuberculosis