Impact of Repealing the Health Care Reform Law

January 2011

In the 6th Congressional District of Illinois
Committee on Energy and Commerce
Minority Staff
In March 2010, Congress passed and President Obama signed into law historic health care reform
legislation, the Affordable Care Act.  Millions of Americans are already benefitting from this law:
insurers are no longer allowed to discriminate against children and others who are sick; small businesses
are receiving billions of dollars in tax credits to provide health care coverage for their employees; and
seniors are saving money on prescription drugs and receiving free preventive care through Medicare. 
House Republicans will soon vote to repeal these important new benefits, increasing health care costs for
millions of Americans, causing many families to lose coverage, and increasing the national debt by over
$1 trillion.  This analysis describes the impact of repeal of the Affordable Care Act in the 6th
Congressional District of Illinois, which is represented by Rep. Peter J. Roskam.  It finds that repeal of the
health reform law would have significant consequences in the district by:
 Allowing insurance companies to deny coverage to 111,000 to 288,000 individuals, including
8,000 to 39,000 children, with pre-existing conditions.
 Rescinding consumer protections for 459,000 individuals who have health insurance through their
employer or the market for private insurance.
 Eliminating health care tax credits for up to 19,500 small businesses and 113,000 families.
 Increasing prescription drug costs for 7,400 seniors who hit the Part D drug “donut hole” and
denying new preventive care benefits to 79,000 seniors.
 Increasing the costs of early retiree coverage for up to 8,500 early retirees.
 Eliminating new health care coverage options for 2,100 uninsured young adults.
 Increasing the number of people without health insurance by 28,000 individuals.
 Increasing the costs to hospitals of providing uncompensated care by $23 million annually.
Repeal of Protections Against Insurance Company Abuses
Repeal would eliminate the ban on discrimination on the basis of pre-existing conditions.  Under the
health reform law, insurance companies can no longer deny coverage to children with pre-existing
conditions and will be banned from discriminating against adults with pre-existing conditions in 2014.
There are 111,000 to 288,000 residents in Rep. Roskam’s district with pre-existing conditions like
diabetes, heart disease, or cancer, including 8,000 to 39,000 children.  Repeal would allow insurance
companies to refuse to insure these individuals if they seek coverage in the individual or small-group
markets.  The consequences would be particularly acute for the 14,000 to 37,000 individuals in the district
who currently lack insurance coverage and who would be unable to purchase individual policies if the law
is repealed.
Repeal would eliminate the ban on annual and lifetime limits.  The health reform law prohibits
insurance companies from imposing annual and lifetime limits on health insurance coverage.  This
provision protects the rights of everyone who receives coverage from their employer or through the
market for private insurance.  If this protection is repealed, insurers would be able to impose coverage
limits on 459,000 individuals in the district with employer or private coverage.