Tammy Baldwin: “It may not be to the Senator's liking, but I was going to tell you about the plans that I read the fine print on from…”

“It may not be to the Senator's liking, but I was going to tell you about the plans that I read the fine print on from the State of Wisconsin. Now that these short-term plans are renewable for up to 3 years, in these junk plans, you can see the fine print. Many times they start with this: We will not cover a preexisting condition. Every single one of them refuses to cover maternity care. That means none of these junk plans cover that essential benefit. Most of them don't cover emergency room care. Most of them don't cover prescription drugs. So regardless of how the law impacts people who have other types of insurance, I feel strongly that these junk plans are very distorting of the market and not worth the paper they are written on for those who have chosen to take that route. Last fall, we heard all my colleagues across the aisle say, often repeatedly, that they support protections for people with preexisting health conditions. Today I just offered an opportunity for Democrats and Republicans to come together to protect people's access to quality, affordable healthcare when they need it the most, but there was an objection. I say to the American people that we must not lose sight of the fight right in front of us. We have a President who time after time has sabotaged our healthcare system, raised healthcare costs, and pushed these junk insurance plans that don't have to cover people with preexisting conditions.…”