Final signature count: 5,040

5,040 signatures toward our 30,000 goal

Throughout the 2016 U.S. Presidential election, Donald Trump made his plans to repeal and replace Obamacare (also known as the Affordable Care Act, or ACA). Shortly after the election, President Trump made it clear to The Wall Street Journal that he did, however, want to keep certain elements of the ACA, including protections for people with pre-existing conditions.

What remains unclear is whether Republicans in congress agree with him.

If these protections are removed, health care providers would be permitted to increase the rates or deny coverage to individuals with pre-existing conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. A recent analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation revealed that nearly 30% of Americans under 65 would have been uninsurable due to pre-existing health conditions prior to the Affordable Care Act. That means, if this rule is removed, millions of people could find themselves without access to affordable health insurance.

Further, if people with pre-existing conditions are put in this vulnerable position, the likelihood of people withholding aspects of their medical history could increase. Not only would this come at the detriment of individual health and disease treatment, it would also adversely affect the data pool from which scientists glean valuable information for disease research.

The GOP’s new health care proposal, “The American Health Care Act,” was recently released, and is currently under review. As of now, it remains unclear whether the new health care act will protect people with pre-existing conditions, and to what extent.

Urge President Trump to honor his promise to protect individuals with pre-existing conditions if Obamacare is repealed.