Pennsylvania State Rep. Schweyer Issues Statement on Health Care Bill

ALLENTOWN, Pennsylvania, Dec. 28 -- The Pennsylvania House Democrats issued the following statement by State Rep. Peter Schweyer, D-Lehigh:

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State Rep. Peter Schweyer, D-Lehigh, in response to legal attacks on health coverage, will introduce a bill that would prevent insurance companies from denying coverage to people with a pre-existing medical condition.

"There are very wealthy special interest groups working to kick people off health care," Schweyer said. "But there are millions of people who need to be able to afford to see a doctor when they get sick. Those are the people I'm worrying about. The idea someone could lose their health care coverage over an illness, over a disease, over even getting pregnant is insane and wrong and we can't let it happen.

"Too many families face bankruptcy from health care bills - kicking people who are already covered off that coverage or denying new coverage for people with pre-existing conditions will send more families into the poorhouse, and countless people into the grave," he said.

"Just a few days ago, an extremist judge in Texas decided because Congress eliminated the individual mandate tax penalty of the Affordable Care Act, the entire ACA is invalid. This was not the final word and the ACA is still the law of the land, but if more extremist judges side with the decision, millions of people could be denied coverage outright or see their premiums skyrocket to a point where they couldn't afford the coverage anyway."

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Schweyer is a former director of community and government affairs at Allentown's Sacred Heart Hospital - a hospital providing care to a community with many disadvantaged patients unable to afford or get coverage. He said this proposal is similar to a bill he introduced last session that was never given a public hearing or a vote in committee or by the full House of Representatives. The bill is expected to be referred to the House Insurance Committee.