Washington, DC — Yesterday, the White House sent an email reaffirming their support for junk insurance plans by opposing a provision in the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act that clamps down on the promotion of these deceitful plans that don’t cover protections for pre-existing conditions. This is yet another effort by President Trump, including his lawsuit to terminate the ACA, to rip protections from 135 million Americans with pre-existing conditions. His support for these plans is even more egregious in the face of the coronavirus pandemic that has caused millions of Americans to lose their health care. These newly uninsured families could be duped into buying junk plans only to end up paying crippling costs for treatment if they catch the virus. In response, Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach issued the following statement:
“It’s shameful that the White House is standing by their promotion of junk insurance plans that don’t protect people with pre-existing conditions at a time when people’s health and safety is so important. The president’s ongoing efforts to rip protections away from the 135 million Americans with pre-existing conditions and his refusal to allow the uninsured to use the Affordable Care Act to purchase affordable health insurance when they need it the most, shows his complete disregard for Americans’ health during this crisis. Everyone who contracts the coronavirus could now have a pre-existing condition and the Trump administration wants them to be at the mercy of insurance companies who could refuse to pay for their future care. If this president was serious about protecting Americans during this crisis, he wouldn’t be promoting these disastrous junk insurance plans that don’t fully protect people with pre-existing conditions.”
BACKGROUND:
On May 14, The White House Sent An Email Attacking The HEROES Act Provision Banning The Promotion Of Junk Plans That Do Not Cover Pre-Existing Conditions. “A BAN on information about low-cost health insurance. That’s right—House Democrats want to forbid the government from sharing any information with you about lower-cost health options such as association plans or short-term plans. Even as families try to cope with job and wage losses, Speaker Pelosi doesn’t want them to learn about options that are up to 60 percent cheaper than Obamacare.” [White House Email, 5/14/20]