Trump & Pence Are Fighting To Take Away Pre-Existing Condition Protections
Trump and Pence have fought tooth and nail to weaken and remove protections for as many as 133 million people with pre-existing conditions – from cancer survivors to potentially even COVID-19 survivors – and are fighting to take them away during a pandemic.
Trump signed an executive order that amounts to little more than a public relations ploy and wouldn’t actually protect people with preexisting conditions.
• Bloomberg: “Experts say that Trump’s order on pre-existing conditions won’t provide meaningful protections to sick people who seek health insurance.”
• Washington Post: “Experts have said such an executive order would amount to little more than a public relations ploy, and the order is not viewed as a substantive policy proposal among many West Wing advisers.”
Trump has repeatedly promised to protect people with preexisting conditions, but at every turn, he has pursued policies that do the opposite.
• New York Times: “But rather than enshrine the ability of Americans with health problems to buy insurance, the Trump administration has, at every turn, pursued policies that have tended to do the opposite.”
Trump is trying to eliminate protections for as many as 133 million Americans with preexisting conditions by terminating the ACA.
• NBC News: “The Trump administration is asking the Supreme Court to wipe out Obamacare, arguing that the individual mandate is unconstitutional and that the rest of the law must be struck down with it. The late-night brief, filed Thursday in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, carries major implications for the presidential election. If the justices agree, it would cost an estimated 20 million Americans their insurance coverage and nullify protections for pre-existing conditions.”
The Trump administration made it easier for states to avoid coverage requirements for preexisting conditions.
• Politico: “The Trump administration said Monday it will give states significant new ability to opt-out of Obamacare requirements, a move that could boost cheaper health plans with fewer protections for pre-existing conditions.”
The Trump administration expanded access to junk insurance plans that could drive up costs for Americans with pre-existing conditions.
• Los Angeles Times: “Expanding short-term plans also risks driving up costs for Americans with pre-existing medical conditions who need more comprehensive benefits.”
Trump supported ACA repeal bills that would have ended coverage protections for people with preexisting conditions.
• Washington Post: “Before passage of the ACA, even minor health problems could have led an insurance company to deny coverage. Trump supported House and Senate bills that would have weakened those protections by allowing states to seek waivers from the law and consider a person’s health status when writing policies in the individual market.”