WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell co-sponsored new health care legislation today to lower health insurance premiums, crack down on junk health insurance plans, strengthen protections for people with pre-existing conditions and reverse the Trump Administration’s efforts to undermine the Affordable Care Act. House Democrats introduced the legislation just one day after the Trump Administration asked a federal court to strike down the Affordable Care Act in its entirety. 

“One of my top priorities in Congress has always been to strengthen the Affordable Care Act, lower health costs and make reliable, quality insurance available to every Alabamian, but for too long, quality, affordable care has been out of reach for too many Americans,” Sewell said. “Not only will this legislation help make those priorities a reality, it will also help strengthen protections for the nearly 100 million Americans with pre-existing conditions.”

The Protecting Pre-Existing Conditions & Making Health Care More Affordable Act of 2019 includes provisions that will:

Lower health insurance premiums with strengthened and expanded affordability assistance

• Strengthening tax credits in the Marketplace to lower Americans’ health insurance premiums and allows more middle-class individuals and families to qualify for subsidies;
• Ensuring that families who don’t have an offer of affordable coverage from an employer can still qualify for subsidies in the Marketplace; and,
• Providing funding for reinsurance, to help with high cost claims, improve Marketplace stability, and prevent the Trump Administration’s sabotage from raising premiums.

Strengthen protections for people with pre-existing conditions

• Curtailing the Trump Administration’s efforts to give states waivers to undermine protections for people with pre-existing conditions and weaken standards for essential health benefits, which would leave consumers with less comprehensive plans that do not cover needed services, such as prescription drugs, maternity care and substance use disorder treatment.

Stop insurance companies from selling junk health insurance plans

• Stopping the Trump Administration’s efforts to push Americans into junk health insurance plans that do not provide coverage for essential medical treatments and drugs, and that are allowed to discriminate against people with pre-existing medical conditions.

Reverse the GOP’s health care sabotage that has needlessly driven up premiums and uninsured rates, and empower states to innovate and invest in enrolling more people in affordable health coverage

• Reversing the Trump Administration’s sabotage by requiring open enrollment outreach, education and funding for navigators;
• Investing in state efforts to conduct outreach to increase enrollment, educate consumers of their rights and help individuals navigate the health insurance system;
• Empowering states to implement new approaches to increasing enrollment and allows states to set up their own Marketplaces; and
• Holding the administration accountable for its use of federal dollars dedicated to increasing enrollment, outreach and running the federal exchange.