House Democrats Pass Bill to Stabilize the Affordable Care Act
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Sean Casten (IL-06) voted to pass H.R. 986, the Protecting Americans with Pre-Existing Conditions Act, to block the Trump Administration's dangerous October 2018 guidance that gives states the ability to weaken the Affordable Care Act's critical protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions.
Casten said, "Today I was proud to join House Democrats in voting to protect and stabilize the Affordable Care Act (ACA). H.R. 986, the Protecting Americans with Preexisting Conditions Act blocks the Trump-Pence Administration's executive order to allow states to waive important patient protections under the ACA. President Trump would like nothing better than to undermine the stability of the health care market and allow states to promote junk so-called "short-term, limited-duration" insurance options that directly discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions. Lest we forget that prior to the ACA, women who had given birth, had a C-section, were living with HIV, had a previous breast cancer diagnosis could all have been considered to have a pre-existing condition.
Unlike ACA plans, these junk plans can eliminate coverage of pre-existing conditions, charge premiums based on health status, or reject patients altogether. The Administration's guidance even goes so far as to allow states to use federal taxpayer dollars to subsidize the purchase of these junk plans -- which could drive younger healthier people out of the risk pool and drive up premiums for those who need comprehensive coverage like those with pre-existing conditions. Republicans have no plan to improve health care. Their only plan is to roll back the progress made in the ACA and put the health coverage of the 52 million Americans with pre-existing conditions in jeopardy."
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