7 Eyewitness News sat down with an executive at Independent Health on Tuesday, just one day after House Republicans introduced a new healthcare bill.
Roberta Rifkin is senior vice president of government affairs. She said the new bill still protects patients from being denied coverage for pre-existing conditions, and young adults can stay on their parents' plan until they're 26. She said those are positive aspects that wouldn’t change.
But, she said it lacks detail. One concern is whether a member's subsidies will be less than currently offered.
Above all, she said it's too early to know exactly what will stick and what won’t. “This is a starting point towards repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act. It's proposed legislation. It has a long way to go before it's signed by the President.”
Rifkin said it's also important to consider what isn't mentioned. The Affordable Care Act included preventative coverage like cancer screenings. But, so far, that isn't something identified in the new bill.
