WVU expert: Latest effort to repeal the ACA will structurally change Medicaid

As the U.S. Senate takes up another bill to replace the Affordable Care Act, a West Virginia University health policy expert says states will lose more than $80 billion annually in 2026, a precursor to a combined loss of $300 billion the next year, as the Medicaid expansion is rolled back. Repeal of insurance market protections for people with pre-existing conditions and a strict per capita cap on Medicaid payments are also part of the package, according to WVU’s Simon Haeder.

Simon Haeder
Assistant Professor
John D. Rockefeller IV School of Policy & Politics
West Virginia University 

“(Graham-Cassidy) also would eliminate, or at the very least give states the opportunity to eliminate, major insurance regulations that came out of the Affordable Care Act. This includes essential health benefits, that is the requirement for insurers to cover things like prescription drugs and maternity care, and it also allows insurers to charge people with pre-existing conditions more. For pregnant women that would amount to more than $17,000 in surcharges every year.”

Simon Haeder audio file (1:20)

Contact information: Simon.Haeder@mail.wvu.edu

West Virginia University experts can provide commentary, insights and opinions on various news topics. Search for an expert by name, title, area of expertise, or college/school/department in the Experts Database at WVU Today.

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