Political Quotes

“Madam President, today I wish to discuss this administration's perpetual actions to weaken protections for people with preexisting conditions. Last fall, the administration issued guidance for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act--ACA--that would loosen the statutory guardrails for 1332 State waivers. The guidance encourages states to increase access to ACA non-compliant coverage. The actions of the administration cannot make this message any clearer: President Trump does not support protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Because of the ACA, health insurance companies cannot refuse to cover someone or charge someone more just because they have a prexisting condition. Among the most common pre-existing conditions are high blood pressure, behavioral health disorders, high cholesterol, asthma/chronic lung disease, heart conditions, diabetes, and cancer. In 2017, HHS released a report stating that as many as 133 million non-elderly Americans have a preexisting condition. The Maryland Health Benefit Exchange estimates that there are approximately 2.5 million nonelderly Marylanders with a preexisting condition, 320,000 of which are children. Unfortunately, the Trump administration is taking actions that directly threaten these 133 million Americans, actions, which can lead to them being denied access to healthcare. The Trump administration's updated guidance on section 1332 waivers skirts the intention of the law.…”