New report finds 129 million Americans under 65 have a 'pre-existing condition'

The insurance companies invented the whole pre-existing condition to prevent having to pay for coverage. And, a lot of Americans now fall into that category:

As many as 129 million Americans under age 65 have medical problems that are red flags for health insurers, according to an analysis that marks the government's first attempt to quantify the number of people at risk of being rejected by insurance companies or paying more for coverage.

The secretary of health and human services released the study on Tuesday, hours before the House plans to begin considering a repugican bill that would repeal the new law to overhaul the health-care system.

A vote is expected on Wednesday. But while repugicans may muscle through a repeal bill in the House, its prospects are slimmer in the Senate, where Democrats and independents will enjoy a 53-47 majority.

I have to imagine that a lot of members of Congress have some kind of pre-existing condition. They're not the healthiest group of Americans. But, I doubt members of Congress get much of a run around from insurance companies.

The insurance industry's lobbyist, of course, disparaged the report. But, as the article notes, it's based on that industry's definitions:

The study found that one-fifth to one-half of non-elderly people in the United States have ailments that trigger rejection or higher prices in the individual insurance market. They range from cancer to chronic illnesses such as heart disease, asthma and high blood pressure.

The smaller estimate, by Health and Human Services Department researchers, is based on the number of Americans whose medical problems would make them eligible for states' high-risk pools - special coverage for people denied insurance because of their medical history. The researchers arrived at the larger figure by adding in other ailments that major insurers consider a basis to charge customers higher prices or to exclude coverage for some of the care they need.

So, this week, the repugicans are taking on 129 million Americans under 65 and their families. That sounds like it should be, using repugican terminology, a political job-killer.