‘Mary’ in Jackie Walorski ad is not at risk of losing coverage for pre-existing condition

South Bend Tribune (IN)

Oct. 19--A woman featured in a Jackie Walorski campaign ad might have a pre-existing health condition, but she's not at risk of losing her health coverage because of it, regardless of what's happening in Washington.

That's because the woman, Mary Olson, as a member of the Elkhart Common Council, has been covered under the city's employee group health insurance plan since 2006, according to public records.

Federal law allows insurers to base group plan premiums on a group's claims history, but it has long prohibited such employer-based plans, which cover most Americans, from denying coverage to eligible individuals because of their medical history.

Olson, a Republican with a long history of involvement in the party, has served on the council since 1993. She once worked for one of Walorski's Republican predecessors, Rep. John Hiler, who represented the area in Congress from 1981 to 1991.

At the beginning of the 30-second spot, titled "Always Have," Walorski introduces Olson as "my good friend" as the two sit next to each other in a living room.

Olson: "I have non-Hodgkins lymphoma, a pre-existing health condition."

Walorski: "I've always supported health insurance coverage for people like Mary with pre-existing conditions."

Olson: "Mel Hall's attacks are completely false."

Walorski: "In fact, I voted to protect this critical coverage in Indiana and in Washington."

Olson: "Mel Hall really needs to do his homework."

The ad doesn't mention that Olson is an elected Republican official who is covered by a group plan.

Like Democrats in House races across the country, Hall has made pre-existing conditions coverage a main attack point in his campaign. He has criticized Walorski in debates and ads for voting 11 times to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Polls have shown high public support for the law's requirement that individual health plans offer coverage to people with pre-existing conditions.

In saying in the ad that she voted to protect coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, Walorski was referring to the fact that she signed on as a co-sponsor to a bill declaring that whatever health care reforms are implemented, insurers won't be allowed to deny coverage or make it unaffordable for people with pre-existing conditions, according to her campaign spokesman, Stephen Simonetti. The bill was introduced in February 2017 and has sat idle in committee since then, but Walorski signed on Oct. 5, four days before airing the ad.

Simonetti has said she also was referring to her votes to repeal Obamacare. A GOP replacement bill would have earmarked $8 billion over five years to subsidize higher premiums for people with pre-existing conditions, but some experts have argued that would not be nearly enough money for the problem.

Olson did not return messages left on her home phone and did not respond to an email.

The Tribune on Friday requested an interview with Walorski about Olson and the ad. In response, Simonetti issued a written statement.

"Jackie has been fighting for Mary and anyone with pre-existing conditions to ensure they have access to high quality affordable health care," Simonetti wrote.

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