NJ AARP Director on the Impact of Repealing Obamacare

Stephanie Hunsinger, State Director, AARP New Jersey, explains what impact repealing the Affordable Care Act would have on older Americans across the nation, and how the NJ Secure Choice Savings Program helps private sector workers to save for retirement.

6/1/19 #312

 

 

 

 

Excerpt:

"State of Affairs welcomes Stephanie Hunsinger, who is State Director, AARP, which stands for? Well it used to stand for the American Association of Retired People, but... After the rebranding? It's just AARP. I love it. People know what it is? Yeah. Listen I got the... I got a certain... You got your card? Yeah. Thank you very much. Yeah. Don't make... You should be proud! Yeah, well... half. So... [laughter] But I'm proud of the work you and your organization do. Yes. Yes. Let's do this. Let's jump into a few issues. The population you represent, talk about them. So we represent the 50-plus across the country, just over 38 million members across the United States. In New Jersey we have 1.3 million members. But as our motto says, what we do, we do for all. So we really represent the entire 50-plus population. But we also know that what we're doing for the 50-plus today is beneficial and will affect generations to come. So we really do believe that... Sure. ...what we do is for all. Let's break down some issues. You and I were talking about, right before we got on the air, if the Affordable Care Act is in fact repealed? Hmm. I mean listen, there have been so many attempts... if it were to happen, Obamacare? Hmm. What do you think it would mean for the population you represent? Your members? It would be terrible for the population that we represent. You know, AARP supports the critical aspects of the Affordable Care Act that are really important health priorities for Americans that are 50-plus. So things like providing access to affordable quality coverage, discrimination based on age and pre-existing conditions, that's a huge issue for our members. You know as individuals get older, they could be charged more. The provisions in the ACA? More? Yeah. So right now there's a rate of about one to three, and as you age, you can be charged higher. As you get older, you may have more illnesses... chronic illnesses. So insurance companies? A higher risk. So they'll charge more for an aging population. ACA keeps that at a reasonable level. Without the provisions through the ACA, that can change. But Stephanie the governor, Governor Murphy is saying in New Jersey, "Hey listen, we'll take care of it. We'll set up our own exchange. It will be good." You say? So New Jersey has some really great laws currently that protect individuals from age discrimination, pre-existing condition clauses, providing affordable coverage... Is it enough? It's enough for individuals that have... If it were to be... sorry for interrupting. Yeah. If the ACA were to be repealed, is what..."