Given the chance, Scott Brown would repeal the Affordable Care Act.
Section 10323(a) of the Affordable Care Act extends Medicare coverage to “individuals exposed to environmental health hazards.” “Environmental health hazards” is kind of a vague term. Maybe Brown’s in above his head and just doesn’t understand what that means. Perhaps he thinks it has something to do with climate change, and that this would hurt his friends in Big Oil.
But if you read a bit further, it turns out this section is all about helping people exposed to asbestos. It creates Section 1881A of the Social Security Act. Subsection (e)(2) of Sec. 1881A explains that an “environmental exposure affected individual” is someone who, in addition to meeting certain other requirements, has asbestosis, pleural thickening, pleural plaques, mesothelioma, malignancies of the lung, colon, rectum, larynx, stomach, esophagus, pharynx, or ovary, or any other condition the Secretary of Health and Human Services determines is an asbestos-related medical condition.
Section 10323(b) creates a program for early detection of asbestos-related medical conditions, so people who have them can find out and seek treatment in time to save their lives.
Repealing the Affordable Care Act would deprive already-struggling asbestos victims of Medicare coverage, which may be the only insurance coverage they have (especially if Brown succeeds in repealing the Affordable Care Act’s prohibition on discriminating against people with pre-existing conditions, which would pretty much kill their chances of getting private health insurance). Does he have an alternative plan, or is he too busy using asbestos victims for political gain?
