The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been sold to the American public as everything from free healthcare to universal coverage. As the law starts getting coming into affect we’re learning some very interesting tidbits about the bill that we had to pass in order to find out what’s in it. For example, your credit score gets checked so insurance companies can decided whether or not they want to take you on as a customer:
ORLANDO, Fla. – Many people signing up for health care in Florida through the Affordable Care Act have been shocked when they have to give proof of their credit score before they finish the process.
Anne Packham, one of many people licensed by the state to help people navigate the government’s website, said on Tuesday that the credit check occurs so providers can make an educated decision about who to insure.
“If someone is defaulting on all of their bills they may not want to have them as part of their health plan,” said Packham, the lead Navigator in Florida.
You can’t be denied for a preexisting condition but you can be denied for having a poor credit score. In all fairness, everything in our society seems to be tied to your credit score. If you have a poor credit score you’re effectively labeled subhuman.
But this story raises an interesting question. If you’re legally required to purchase health insurance and every health insurance provider denies you (either outright or charging premiums that they know you can’t afford) what happens? Will you be fined, err, taxed, err, fined for failing to carry health insurance even if you have no control over that failure? Could insurance companies deny you coverage for a preexisting condition if they claim their reason for rejection was your credit score?
Welcome to the mandatory healthcare system. It will only get worse from here.