Paul Tonko: “Representative Garamendi, you cite a very awkward dynamic that can be used as a preexisting condition: age. How about…”

“Representative Garamendi, you cite a very awkward dynamic that can be used as a preexisting condition: age. How about gender? There are more and more small business startups that are women-owned businesses, women working in a small business situation as the employer. A preexisting condition is being a woman. It is gender penalizing. There are many aspects, and the preexisting condition is something that's getting more and more attention, especially in the weeks that accompanied the decision of the Supreme Court. There was a lot of recognition of what was in the Affordable Care Act, and preexisting conditions are now being denounced and not being allowed as a reason, a rationale for denying insurance. That's a prime aspect of the progress made here. As I've said in my district: Is it perfect? No. We aimed for perfection, and we achieved success. We will continue to work on this order of health care in a way that will continue to build the progressive nature of the outcome.”