Court Ruling Ensures GOP Will Continue Lawsuit Risking Arizonans' Health Care

PHOENIX, Arizona, Jan. 8 -- The Arizona Democratic Party issued the following news release:

Attorney General Mark Brnovich and national Republicans are continuing their lawsuit to strike down pre-existing condition coverage protections, following last month's 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling ensuring the continuation of their legal effort.

Brnovich and national Republicans, including Donald Trump, cheered the lawsuit's continuation, as they keep pushing for an end to coverage protections that prevent insurance companies from jacking up prices on individuals who have a pre-existing health condition. U.S. Sen. Martha McSally -- who voted to pave the way for the suit -- has stood by the lawsuit, and said it's not her "role" to stand up for Arizonans' health care.

If successful, Republicans' lawsuit would have devastating implications for Arizonans' health care access:

* Makes it easier for insurance companies to send families into medical bankruptcy: Insurance companies will again be able to impose annual and lifetime coverage limits -- caps on how much the insurer will cover before individuals are required to pay out-of-pocket -- resulting in dramatically increased out-of-pocket costs for millions of Americans;

* Threatens Arizona's AHCCCS expansion: Coverage would be jeopardized for the 400,000 individuals who gained health insurance under Arizona's AHCCCS expansion -- a direct attack on the 3 in 8 Arizona kids and 3 in 5 nursing home residents who are covered under AHCCCS;

* Ends the provision that lets people under 26 stay on their parents' coverage: Younger Arizonans will have to seek out their own health insurance coverage, no longer able to stay on their parents' health insurance plan until the age of 26; and

* Reopens the Medicare "donut hole" and increases costs for seniors: Medicare beneficiaries will "have to pay more for preventive care," while the Medicare Part D coverage gap would be reopened, meaning that seniors will "have to pay more toward their prescription drugs."

* Eliminates pre-existing condition coverage protections: Insurance companies will again be able to jack up prices on or deny coverage to people with a pre-existing condition -- putting coverage at risk for 2.8 million Arizonans who have a pre-existing condition;

* Allows insurance companies to charge women more than men: Insurance companies will once again be able to discriminate against women and charge them more than men;

"Republicans like Donald Trump and AG Mark Brnovich went to court to rip health care away from millions of Americans, and they're now continuing that effort to drive up consumer costs and end pre-existing condition coverage protections. Health care is on the ballot again in 2020, and Arizonans know that Republicans are the party that's relentlessly tried to drive up costs and eliminate coverage protections in order to reward their health insurance and drug company backers," said Matt Grodsky, spokesman for the Arizona Democratic Party.