Ohio House Democrats: Lawmakers Introduce Bipartisan Pre-Existing Protection Act as Open Enrollment Begins

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Nov. 1 -- Ohio House Democrats issued the following information on behalf of Ohio State Reps. Jeff Crossman, D-Parma, and Randi Clites, D-Ravenna:

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- Introduction of bill, open enrollment occur at a time when the ACA is in jeopardy

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Today, State Rep. Jeff Crossman (D-Parma) & State Rep. Randi Clites (D-Ravenna), along with several Republican cosponsors, filed their bill to protect patients with pre-existing conditions on the day open enrollment under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) begins.

The bipartisan Pre-Existing Protection Act would codify existing protections from the ACA into Ohio law, including: coverage for those with pre-existing conditions; limits on insurance premiums; ban on annual and lifetime limits; and coverage of essential health benefits, like preventative and maternal healthcare.

"Hopefully the bipartisan list of this bill's sponsors proves that the issue of protecting those with pre-existing conditions should never be political. This is an issue of decency and humanity that we believe should be extended to each and every American; and the need to codify these protections has never been more important than it is today," said. Rep. Crossman. "Rep. Clites and I chose to file our bill in concert with the beginning of open enrollment to reinforce the importance of maintaining protections for persons with pre-existing conditions. We now have a chance to take action to prevent the loss of these important protections here in Ohio and ensure Ohioans will be able to secure affordable health care coverage should the ongoing efforts to repeal or invalidate the Affordable Care Act succeed."

The introduction of this legislation and 2020 open enrollment occur at a time when the future of the Affordable Care Act is in jeopardy. A decision is expected any day now in the case Texas v. U.S. in which 18 states are seeking to invalidate the ACA and its mandated coverage for patients with pre-existing conditions. A decision invalidating the ACA would jeopardize healthcare for nearly 2 million Ohioans, according to a recently published study by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

"We can't sit back and let families live in uncertainty of whether or not the court will protect their access to health coverage. Ohioans deserve access to affordable health care that gives them the coverage they need regardless of a pre-existing condition. We are determined to move this bill forward and thank our many co-sponsors on this bill for their support," said Rep. Clites.

Open enrollment for health care insurance coverage begins today and ends on December 15, 2019, for coverage starting January 1, 2020. Visit healthcare.gov to learn more.