Washington DC — Less than one week after President Trump claimed a top priority of his is to protect people with pre-existing conditions, his administration is back in court arguing against those very protections. According to recent reporting, the Trump administration has filed in opposition to the House of Representatives intervening in the Texas, et. al. vs. United States, et. al. case which would overturn the Affordable Care Act and its protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Brad Woodhouse, executive director of Protect Our Care issued the following statement in response:
“After Trump launched a lawsuit to overturn our health care law, now he’s gone to court to silence the majority of Americans who disagree with him. In November, voters rejected the Trump administration’s repeal and sabotage agenda, and under Speaker Pelosi’s leadership, the House responded to voters’ concerns by passing a resolution intervening in the Texas lawsuit. If the Trump administration’s latest attack is successful, our health care system is one step closer to the days where insurance companies had the power to deny, drop, or charge more for coverage. Make no mistake, today’s action once again shows the president is lying about his position on protecting people with pre-existing conditions. His actions will hurt millions of Americans.”
BACKGROUND:
Due to Judge O’Connor’s ruling on December 14th, Republicans are one step closer to repealing the Affordable Care Act and eliminating key protections, unleashing — as the Trump Administration itself admitted in his court — “chaos” in our entire health care system. If this ruling is allowed to stand:
- Marketplace tax credits and coverage for 10 million people: GONE.
- Medicaid expansion currently covering 15 million people: GONE.
- Protections for more than 130 million people with pre-existing conditions when they buy coverage on their own: GONE.
- Allowing children to stay on their parents’ insurance until age 26: GONE.
- Free annual wellness exams: GONE.
- Ban on annual and lifetime limits: GONE.
- Ban on insurance discrimination against women: GONE.
- Contraception with no out-of-pocket costs: GONE.
- Limit on out-of-pocket costs: GONE.
- Requirement that insurance companies cover essential benefits like prescription drugs, maternity care, and hospitalization: GONE.
- Improvements to Medicare, including reduced costs for prescription drugs: GONE.
- Closed Medicare prescription drug donut hole: GONE.
- Rules to hold insurance companies accountable: GONE.
- Small business tax credits: GONE.