DeWine Wants High-Risk Pools. I Don't.

Last night I watched the third and final debate between Ohio's candidates for governor, Richard Cordray (D) and Mike DeWine (R).

Forgive my obvious self-interest as a Stage 4 cancer patient, but DeWine's dishonest positions on health care are maddening.

DeWine has been a dedicated on-the-record opponent of the Affordable Care Act from day one.  As Ohio AG, he made our state join in an unsuccessful federal lawsuit to overturn the ACA.  Had it succeeded, the guarantee of pre-existing conditions coverage would be gone and I probably would be too.

Last night I listened to DeWine again trot out his campaign talking point that he has "always supported coverage for people with a pre-existing illness."  This is incredible bullshit and simply not true.  He never said any such thing until a couple months ago and has never lifted a finger on behalf of the nearly 2 million Ohioans like me with a pre-existing health condition.

Note that DeWino didn't say what sort of "coverage" or at what price.  When pressed on this by the moderator, he suggested "high-risk insurance pools."

Pre-ACA, 35 states tried high-risk pools.  So did the federal government as an interim measure prior to the law taking effect.  The idea of a high-risk pool is that insurance companies, state governments and the feds all chip in to pay for this expensive care and keep premiums low.

It did not work well.  Premiums and out-of-pocket costs remained unaffordably high and the pools were inadequately funded.  The feds and some states simply quit the program.  Other states had waiting lists to become insured.

So . . . been there, done that, it failed.  But DeWine wants to repeat the bad idea.  It's his polite way of saying he doesn't really care.  He might as well tell me right to my face to fuck off and die.

Cordray had it right when he reminded us that the only thing to ever guarantee full and nondiscriminatory pre-existing conditions coverage is the ACA.  And DeWine would like to get rid of it.

If you're in Ohio, vote Cordray!  (Hell, vote Cordray even if you're not in Ohio.)