Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL14) continued to stand up to President Trump and his party’s relentless sabotage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Castor championed the Protecting Americans with Preexisting Conditions Act, which passed the House today. The bill is an attempt to blunt the GOP’s legislative actions and their lawsuit that would invalidate the entire health care law and rip vital consumer health care protections from hundreds of millions of Americans.
“Passing the Protecting Americans with Preexisting Conditions Act is an important part of my commitment to protecting so many of my neighbors in Tampa Bay with preexisting conditions,” said U.S. Rep. Castor. “This legislation helps put an end to the Trump administration’s dangerous effort to weaken this life-saving protection. We must safeguard families from the Republican attempts to push them into junk insurance plans that do not cover essential benefits.
“The mandate from my neighbors is clear: they value affordable and accessible health care and the bedrock protection from discrimination based upon a preexisting health condition.”
More than 133 million Americans live with preexisting conditions, including more than 7 million Floridians. The ACA also keeps children on their parents’ insurance until age 26, removes lifetime caps on health care coverage and requires that health insurance plans cover essential benefits, such as mental health and substance use disorder services, preventative health services and hospitalization.
Last fall, the Trump administration issued guidance on Section 1332 of the ACA, removing a requirement on states that health coverage plans be comprehensive, affordable and protect patients with preexisting conditions. This guidance encourages states to allow junk insurance plans that do not protect Americans with preexisting conditions. The Protecting Americans with Preexisting Conditions Act reverses the Trump administration’s health care sabotage.
“The President and Republicans in Congress have made it their mission to sabotage the affordable health care of hardworking Americans, and it is imperative that we take steps to safeguard families from their continued betrayal,” U.S. Rep. Castor said. “I will continue to stand up for my Tampa Bay neighbors, especially those with preexisting conditions, and work with my Democratic colleagues to deliver lower health costs. Instead of ripping affordable coverage away, Republicans and the President should be working with us to lower premiums, copayments and ensure quality health care for our neighbors.”
The GOP has attempted to sabotage the ACA since it was signed into law, and their efforts have continued with a more-than partner in the Trump administration. This past weekend marked two years since House Republicans passed their Trumpcare bill to repeal health care coverage and protections away from millions of Americans. At present, they are pursuing a lawsuit that would invalidate the entire ACA, which would kick millions of Americans off their health care plans, remove protections for patients with preexisting conditions and prevent those under age 26 from staying on their parents’ health coverage – Florida’s previous Governor and Attorney General joined the lawsuit to rip health coverage away from Florida families neighbors and the state continues to be a part of the lawsuit.
U.S. Rep. Castor has worked tirelessly to safeguard Americans’ health in response to the continued sabotage of affordable, quality health care and protections for Americans with preexisting conditions by President Trump and Republicans in Congress. Castor serves on the powerful U.S. House Energy & Commerce Committee, which has oversight of health care policy, and she has authored legislation that would halt the Trump administration’s attack on the ACA. She has also introduced legislation to ensure resources for Health Care Navigators as they work to sign our neighbors up for health care plans that work best for them, which in turn lower prices for all Americans.
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