Rep. Rose Supports New Healthcare Legislation to Strengthen Protections for Pre-Existing Conditions, Lower Premiums

WASHINGTON, March 27 -- Rep. Max Rose, D-New York, issued the following news release:

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- Follows Administration's support for striking down entirety of Affordable Care Act, including protections for those with pre-existing conditions

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Congressman Max Rose, a former executive of a healthcare non-profit, is co-sponsoring sweeping new healthcare legislation that will lower health insurance premiums, crack down on junk health insurance plans, and strengthen protections for people with pre-existing conditions.

"This Administration's intentions are clear: to take a wrecking ball to our entire healthcare system and gut protections for those with pre-existing conditions," Rose said. "That's unfathomable. Staten Islanders and South Brooklynites are already suffering enough from skyrocketing healthcare costs, and I refuse to sit back as this Administration tries to rip away their coverage altogether."

The Protecting Pre-Existing Conditions & Making Health Care Affordable Act was introduced the day after the Department of Justice asked a federal court to strike down the entire Affordable Care Act, including protections for those with pre-existing conditions.

Studies have shown that New York health insurance premiums are already set to rise 8.6% this year after this Administration's efforts to undermine the Affordable Care Act. The Protecting Pre-Existing Conditions & Making Health Care Affordable Act aims to reverse this trend and prevent further chaos in the healthcare marketplace by:

Lowering 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 Administration's sabotage from raising premiums.

Strengthening protections for people with pre-existing conditions

- Curtailing the 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.

Stopping insurance companies from selling junk health insurance plans

- Stopping the 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.

Reversing the GOP's healthcare 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 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.