Rep. Schneider Reintroduces Bill to Extend Pre-Existing Condition Protections to Our Seniors and Disabled

DEERFIELD, Illinois, Jan. 30 -- Rep. Bradley Schneider, D-Illinois, issued the following news release:

Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) reintroduced legislation to extend pre-existing condition protections to cover Medicare beneficiaries.

Under current law, seniors and disabled are one of the last groups that can still be charged more for their pre-existing conditions. More than a quarter of seniors enrolled in Medicare Traditional are also enrolled in Medicare supplement insurance, known as "Medigap." These plans are sold by private insurance to help cover deductibles, copays and other health care expenses, but are not covered by the Affordable Care Act's pre-existing conditions protections. Anyone under 65 enrolling in Medicare (for example persons with disabilities), or switching from Medicare Advantage to traditional Medicare, can be underwritten or denied a supplemental plan because they are sick.

Introduced today, the Protecting Medicare Beneficiaries with Pre-Existing Conditions Act, would extend the Affordable Care Act's guaranteed issue of a policy without underwriting to these plans. Specifically, it would guarantee issue of a Medigap plan to Medicare beneficiaries under 65 and allow Medicare Advantage enrollees switching to Medicare Traditional a one-time enrollment in a Medigap plan.

"The strong protections preventing insurance companies from blocking coverage to individuals with pre-existing conditions were a major step forward in the Affordable Care Act, and are one of the most popular provisions in the law," said Schneider. "There's no reason our seniors shouldn't have those same important protections. I am proud to introduce this legislation to ensure Medicare beneficiaries are not denied coverage or charged higher premiums based on their pre-existing conditions."

This bill has also been endorsed by the Medicare Rights Center.