Kathy Castor: “Instead of ripping affordable coverage away, my Republican colleagues and the administration should be working with the…”

“Instead of ripping affordable coverage away, my Republican colleagues and the administration should be working with the Democrats to lower healthcare costs for American families and protect coverage for preexisting conditions. One way that we can do that is by supporting this amendment. Madam Chair, I yield the balance of my time to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), who is a healthcare champion. Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Chair, I rise in strong support of Congresswoman Castor's amendment that, in fact, blocks the Trump administration's rule to promote junk health insurance plans. Plain and simple, that is what they are. This is just another attempt by the administration to sabotage the Affordable Care Act. Their policies have increased the costs of healthcare. The level of uninsured in this Nation has gone up, and they want to bring us back to a time when those folks with a preexisting condition could no longer get healthcare coverage. There are some who say that today, for the first time in their lives, they have gotten that coverage, and otherwise, they would have died. Maybe that doesn't cut it with some folks here. Short-term plans do not have to cover the ACA's essential health benefits. They frequently do not include maternity services, prescription drugs, mental healthcare, or substance use disorder treatment. Short-term plans can deny coverage to or charge higher prices for people with preexisting conditions.…”