WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats opposed legislation introduced by U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) that protects Americans with pre-existing conditions. The Senate voted on the Protect Act, legislation Senator Tillis introduced last year which would codify into law language from the Affordable Care Act and ensure that Americans have the peace of mind knowing that they and their loved ones will never be denied health care coverage or be charged more because of a pre-existing condition.
“For the last year and a half since introducing the Protect Act, I have worked to pass this legislation so we can ensure hardworking Americans never have to go to bed worried about being denied coverage or treatment if they or their children have a pre-existing condition,” said Senator Tillis. “Unfortunately, Senate Democrats have continuously chosen to put politics before the American people and make protecting pre-existing conditions a campaign wedge-issue even though it has broad bipartisan support. It’s appalling that at the same time Democrats are lying about Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s record on health care, they refuse to protect people with pre-existing conditions. Their plan couldn’t be clearer: they would rather have a political issue to scare Americans about Judge Barrett’s nomination rather than solve the problem. That’s wrong. North Carolinians and the American people deserve better, and Democrats should be ashamed of themselves for these disgusting political stunts that are putting lives at risk.”
The Protect Act amends the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to:
- Guarantee the availability of health insurance coverage in the individual or group market, regardless of pre-existing conditions;
- Prohibit discrimination against patients based on health status – including prohibiting increased premiums for patients due to pre-existing conditions; and
- Prohibit insurance companies from excluding coverage of treatments for a beneficiary’s pre-existing condition.
Read more about the Protect Act HERE.
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