7 Ways An Obamacare Repeal Could Impact New Jersey

Just as his attorney general released a memo that he believes exonerated him from charges of Russian collusion, President Donald Trump is now turning his attention toward killing the Affordable Care Act, or "Obamacare."

But what kind of impact would that renewed effort have on New Jersey? From higher prescription drug costs to having calorie counts removed from restaurant menues, you may be surprised how much of an impact killing the ACA would have on your life – even if you don't directly benefit from it.

Patch has compiled seven things that could happen that would impact – and even hurt – New Jersey if the ACA is repealed (see below).

Certain areas also would be impacted more than others. Read more: These NJ Towns, Workers Could Be Impacted Most By Trump Obamacare Repeal, Study Claims

Just this past week, his administration asked a federal appeals court to strike down the ACA. Trump is saying he wants health care to be an issue in the 2020 campaign, although many political analysts say his efforts to kill it helped elect a Democratic House of Representatives in 2018.

Wary of what Trump could do next, Gov. Phil Murphy has announced that New Jersey will move to a state-based health exchange for the year 2021.

The action will allow New Jersey greater control over its health insurance market and the ability to establish stronger protections against the Trump Administration’s "sabotage of the ACA," his administration said. The governor has also proposed codifying in state law the protections provided by the Affordable Care Act.

“New Jersey has not shied away from the work required to secure the protections afforded by the Affordable Care Act and to provide access to quality affordable health care that our residents deserve – in fact, in partnership with the Legislature our state has stepped up,” said Murphy. “Together with the Legislature, we have the ability to further protect New Jersey from actions taken by the Trump Administration to roll back the hard-fought protections afforded by the ACA and I would argue we have an obligation to do so.”

Analysts have studied the issue and outlined at least seven ways New Jersey could be impacted:

• Hundreds of thousands would lose insurance: More than 500,000 people in New Jersey lose insurance with an Obamacare repeal, according to The Urban Institute. The number of uninsured people in the US would increase to 50.3 million, an increase of 65.4 percent or 19.9 million people.
• Higher prescription-drug costs: Prior to the law, seniors were responsible for the full cost of their medications when they reached their coverage limit, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. In New Jersey, benefits now help make Medicare prescription drug coverage more affordable by reducing any other out-of-pocket costs associated with that coverage, such as deductibles, co-insurance, and the coverage gap known as the "donut hole." A repeal "would crush New Jersey seniors with heavy drug costs, to the tune of $2,000 more each year, and create extreme economic hardship," Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-Bergen, said.
• You could get denied coverage for having pre-existing conditions: Under current law, health insurance companies can’t refuse to cover you or charge you more just because you have a “pre-existing condition” — that is, a health problem you had before the date that new health coverage starts. Health insurers can't charge more or deny coverage to you or your child because of a pre-existing health condition like asthma, diabetes, or cancer. They cannot limit benefits for that condition either. Once you have insurance, they can't refuse to cover treatment for your pre-existing condition.
• You won't be able to keep your kids on your insurance until their 26: Under current law, if your plan covers children, you can add or keep your them on your health insurance policy until they turn 26 years old. Children can join or remain on a parent's plan even if they are: married; not living with their parents; not financially dependent on their parents; and ligible to enroll in their employer’s plan.
• Many people would drop out of Medicaid and CHIP: Enrollment in Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) would fall by 15.4 million people through the elimination of the ACA’s Medicaid expansion. Reduced Medicaid eligibility would increase uninsurance among the low-income population, according to The Urban Institute.
• Calorie counts on menus in restaurants could be eliminated: Chain restaurants with at least 20 locations are required to post the number of calories in their menu items, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. The idea was intended to improve healthy eating,
• Many going through opioid treatment because of the Medicaid expansion would lose access: Those with Medicaid are significantly more likely than those with private insurance or those who are uninsured to receive treatment. In 2016, those with Medicaid were twice as likely as those with private insurance or no insurance to receive any treatment for their addiction, according to the Kaiser Foundation. Nearly a quarter of adults with opioid addiction who had Medicaid coverage received inpatient care, while nearly 4 in 10 received outpatient care. Adults with opioid addiction who were covered by Medicaid were significantly more likely to have received treatment at an outpatient rehabilitation center or at an outpatient mental health center than those with private insurance or those who were uninsured.