Senate Vote Tomorrow On The Protect Pre-Existing Conditions Act Forces Senate Republicans To Choose Between Defending Junk Insurance Plans or Supporting Their Constituents With Pre-Existing Conditions
Washington, DC — Tomorrow, Senate Democrats will force a vote on the Protect Pre-Existing Conditions Act, which would roll back the Trump administration’s junk insurance plans that don’t include protections for pre-existing conditions. Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach issued the following statement in response:
“This vote is a litmus test for Senate Republicans; they must choose whether to support Donald Trump’s junk insurance plans that don’t cover pre-existing conditions or stand with 135 million patients with conditions like asthma, diabetes and cancer. For too long, Republicans have voted to eliminate protections for people with pre-existing conditions and then lied to their constituents, but that subterfuge ends this week. Republicans will have to pick sides: either vote to protect patients or vote to protect President Trump and their insurance company donors.”
BACKGROUND:
THE HILL: “The Democratic measure would have overruled Trump’s expansion of short-term health insurance plans, which do not have to cover people with pre-existing conditions or cover a range of health services like mental health or prescription drugs.”
AARP: AARP opposed Trump’s expansion of short-term plans, arguing “these plans can deny coverage to people with preexisting conditions and refuse to cover even the most basic medical services.”
ACSCAN: An analysis by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network found that “it is unlikely that anyone with a history of cancer or many other health conditions would be able to enroll in or afford a short-term plan.”