Shaheen, Baldwin, Murphy lead 37 Senate colleagues in letter Urging Biden Administration to limit junk health plans

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Chris Murphy (D-CT) led 37 of their Senate colleagues in a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra urging the Biden administration to limit the sale and availability of short-term, limited-duration insurance (STLDI) plans, also known as "junk plans" because of their failure to provide adequate, comprehensive health insurance coverage.

In 2018, in an effort to sabotage the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Trump administration made junk plans more widely available to consumers. Since then, the plans have continued to proliferate, however, they are not required to adhere to important standards, including prohibitions on discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions, coverage for the 10 essential health benefit (EHB) categories, and annual out-of-pocket maximums.

"It is our responsibility to ensure that all Americans have access to affordable and comprehensive health care coverage. In order to strengthen that commitment, HHS must act quickly to limit the proliferation and promotion of STLDI plans, and undue the sabotage caused by the previous administration," said the Senators.

The letter to HHS led was also signed by Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Bob Casey (D-PA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Angus King (I-ME), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Tom Carper (D-DE), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Jon Tester (D-MT), Mark Warner (D-VA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Charles Schumer (D-NY), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT).

Shaheen has led efforts in Congress to protect and improve the ACA. She spearheaded Senate Democrats' proposal to make health care affordable and accessible for Americans during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Shaheen also led all 47 Senate Democrats on a Senate resolution that would reverse the Department of Justice's decision to side with U.S. District Court Judge Reed O'Connor's ruling that would strike down the health care law. This health care sabotage could result in nearly 90,000 Granite Staters losing health care coverage. Senators Shaheen, Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Mark Warner (D-VA) previously called on the last administration to do more to prevent third-party web brokers from steering individuals toward junk health insurance plans that do not provide coverage of pre-existing conditions or essential health benefits.