Apr 27 2012
A report issued by the Government Accountability Office estimated that between 36 million and 112 million American adults have some form of pre-existing condition that could result in health coverage denials or restrictions.
The Hill: GAO: As Many As 112 Million Adults Have Pre-Existing Conditions
Somewhere between 36 million and 112 million adults have pre-existing conditions, the Government Accountability Office says in a new report. President Obama's healthcare law requires insurance companies to cover people with pre-existing conditions. Insurers have historically been able to deny coverage to sick people or offer policies that don't cover their pre-existing conditions (Baker, 4/26).
Modern Healthcare: Many Have Pre-Existing Conditions That May Prevent Coverage: GAO
Hypertension, mental health disorders and diabetes are the most commonly found medical conditions among adults that could lead to a health insurer denying coverage, the Government Accountability Office concluded in a new report about pre-existing conditions. GAO analysts found that between 36 million and 122 million adults-;representing a range between 20% and 66% of the U.S. adult population-;reported having medical conditions that could result in health insurance coverage restrictions. The midpoint of that spectrum is estimated to be about 32% (Zigmond, 4/26).
This article was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent news service, is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health care policy research organization unaffiliated with Kaiser Permanente. |