John Oliver explains why the GOP health-care bill doesn't really cover pre-existing conditions


On Thursday, House Republicans passed their health-care bill by a whisker, after making last-minute changes that left several Republicans who voted for it unsure exactly what they just voted to approve. Even some of those who said they understood all the details were caught flat-footed, John Oliver said on Sunday's Last Week Tonight, reserving a brief, NSFW explainer for Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.). Oliver had explained why he thinks the legislation is so terrible a few weeks ago, but somehow House Republicans "took a bad thing and managed to make it even worse," he said. "It's like watching Mariah Carey's Glitter and going, 'You know what this needs? Jar Jar Binks.'"
House Speaker Paul Ryan and other Republicans are insisting that the bill guarantees insurance access to people with pre-existing conditions, despite the last-minute change, but that's ingenuous since any small gap in insurance coverage could easily result in such a customer priced out of the insurance market altogether, Oliver explained. "It's like if your daughter asks, 'Can I have a cookie,' and you say: 'Sure, that will be $1.5 billion, Katie. You have not been denied this cookie, you still have full access to it should you choose to become successful enough to afford it.'" The bill now goes to the Senate, which will make some changes, and then maybe to President Trump, who will sign any bill that claims to repeal ObamaCare, Oliver said. "So it is dangerous to assume this bill will die on its own. Your senators are incredibly important right now." You can watch below, again warned about the NSFW language. Peter Weber
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Today's political cartoons - April 20, 2025
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - Pam Bondi, retirement planning, and more
By The Week US
-
5 heavy-handed cartoons about ICE and deportation
Cartoons Artists take on international students, the Supreme Court, and more
By The Week US
-
Exploring the three great gardens of Japan
The Week Recommends Beautiful gardens are 'the stuff of Japanese landscape legends'
By The Week UK
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
Speed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocks
Speed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor deal
Speed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Biden expected to block Japanese bid for US Steel
Speed Read The president is blocking the $14 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel, citing national security concerns
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Judges block $25B Kroger-Albertsons merger
Speed Read The proposed merger between the supermarket giants was stalled when judges overseeing two separate cases blocked the deal
By Peter Weber, The Week US