WASHINGTON – Yesterday evening, Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02) voted to pass H.R. 986, the Protecting Americans with Pre-Existing Conditions Act of 2019, to safeguard current protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions.
The bill passed 230 to 183, with four Republicans joining Democrats in clearing the House.
“All Americans deserve access to affordable health care, and that most certainly includes people living with pre-existing conditions,” Congresswoman Luria said. “It is a privilege to fulfill an early promise and join my colleagues to pass a bill to protect access to lifesaving health care benefits for millions of Virginians and Americans with pre-existing conditions.”
Last October, the administration issued new guidance allowing states to promote insurance plans that do not cover essential benefits. The guidance allows states to promote “short-term, limited-duration” insurance options. Such junk plans can eliminate coverage of pre-existing conditions, charge premiums based on health status, or reject patients altogether.
H.R. 986 essentially would roll back the administration’s guidance.
Congresswoman Luria this week also voted in support of two bipartisan bills to reduce the price of prescription drugs by removing barriers to more affordable generic versions of brand-name drugs coming to market, H.R 1503 and H.R. 1520.
Congresswoman Elaine Luria represents Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District. She serves on the House Armed Services Committee, where she is the Vice Chair of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, and the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, where she serves as Chair of the Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee.
About the Author
How about we READ THE BILL?
“Beginning April 1, 2019, the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of the Treasury may not take any action to implement, enforce, or otherwise give effect to the guidance entitled ‘State Relief and Empowerment Waivers,’ and the Secretaries may not promulgate any substantially similar guidance or rule.”
So, clearly this has nothing to do with pre-existing conditions. In fact, this bill makes no structural changes to improve access to or delivery of care. Rather, it limits health care choices and state innovations that are currently working to lower premiums.
What the bill refers to are 1332 waivers. Which are innovation waivers that are ALLOWED under the ACA. State use the waivers for reinsurance programs because these programs are a much more efficient way to protect people with pre-existing conditions.
See, Democrats titled the bill to give the false impression it is about protecting Americans with pre-existing conditions when, in reality, the bill is about protecting Obamacare and of course, smearing Republicans as uncaring MONSTERS.
Having a bill the addresses one thing but title it so that it sounds like it addresses something else is reprehensible, disingenuous, duplicitous and the height of political cynicism, or just another Tuesday for Democrats.
This is nothing more that the Democrats trying to get people to think that Republicans are voting against this because they’re trying to get people to think that we’re against protection for pre-existing conditions, the MONSTERS!!!
Ms. Lauria SHOULD be ashamed of herself for signing on to this legislation but as presently structured, there is no place for shame in the Democrat party.
Say, wasn’t there a triple Virginia scandal involving (D’s) not too long ago?
What the hell happened to this once great political party?