Pre-existing conditions are the touchstone of the 2017 health care debate. In passing the Affordable Care Act (ACA, or “Obamacare”), Democrats promised that expensive medical problems wouldn't preclude anyone from obtaining health insurance coverage. Today, Republicans touting the American Health Care Act (AHCA) offer a similar pledge. While this bipartisan consensus reflects a deeply humane sentiment, it's an expensive, risk-laden proposition for four reasons.
