GOP health bill passage in House leaves questions about pre-existing conditions

Residents across Westchester and Hudson Valley are wondering what the passage of the Republican health care bill in the House may mean for them if the bill becomes a law – especially those with pre-existing conditions. 
The bill's passage was a victory for President Donald Trump toward his promise to repeal and replace President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act. Inside Mount Sinai Riverside Medical Group in Yonkers, the passage feels more like a failure.
"The legislation that's making its way through Congress will significantly increase the number of uninsured Americans," says Dr. Alon Gitig. 
Gitig, a cardiologist, says his patients should receive the best medical care. He says one of his patients, Diane Joyce, has insurance through "Obamacare" and she's required to wear a pacemaker because of her pre-existing heart condition. Under the American Health Care Act, she isn't guaranteed insurance coverage.
If passed, the bill will change Medicaid, which provides care for low-income Americans. It would also repeal taxes imposed by the Affordable Care Act on the wealthy, insurers and drug companies.
Defenders of "Trumpcare" say it will trim the federal deficit considerably.
News 12 reached out to Republican leaders in Westchester, but they were unable to provide a comment.
Joyce says despite a potential health care repeal, she's hopeful.
"We'll have to give them a shot to see how it works out. I believe in giving everyone a chance," says Joyce. 
Critics of the GOP's health care bill say it would weaken protections for people with pre-existing conditions by placing some of them in a high risk pool where they could pay higher rates. 
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 52 million adults under 65 have pre-existing health conditions. Insurers are the ones who determine if a condition is pre-existing. 
Those conditions were used to deny coverage prior to Obamacare, according to experts. 
One of the big ones is diabetes. The CDC says 29 million people in the U.S. have diabetes. Also, the American Cancer Society says as of January 2016, 15 million people in the U.S. have a history of cancer.
The bill now in the hands of the Senate and some lawmakers say the plan needs to drastically change if it wants to become law.