Democrats are fighting back against Trump’s health care sabotage. Yesterday, Senate Democrats announced a plan to force a vote to overturn Trump’s junk insurance plan rule. Trump’s junk plans wouldn’t be required to insure people with pre-existing conditions or cover benefits like preventive care. As a result, people who enroll in these junk plans could find themselves locked out of care just when they need it the most.
Trump’s junk insurance plans could drive up premiums for ACA-compliant plans and make care less accessible to people who need it.
New York Times: “The Trump administration issued a final rule on Wednesday that clears the way for the sale of many more health insurance policies that do not comply with the Affordable Care Act and do not have to cover prescription drugs, maternity care or people with pre-existing medical conditions. …The administration acknowledged that making short-term insurance more available, for longer periods of time, could raise premiums for individual health insurance coverage in the Affordable Care Act marketplace.”
Democrats are fighting back. Yesterday, Senate Democrats announced a plan to force a vote to block Trump’s junk insurance plan rule.
Associated Press: “Democrats will try forcing a campaign-season vote on blocking a Trump administration rule letting insurers sell short-term plans that are cheaper but skimpier than allowed under the Obama health care law, party leaders said Thursday.”
Democrats are fighting for people like Anna Letsos, who get saddled with unexpected costs and can’t afford the preventive care they need under junk insurance plans like those Trump wants to expand access to.
Bloomberg: “Letsos received a mammogram in February, thinking the bill for the test would be picked up by her insurer, National General Accident & Health. Mammograms are one of the preventive screenings that health insurers are required to cover under Obamacare, but the same rules don’t apply to short-term plans. Instead, the insurer has yet to cover any of the cost, leaving the family paying about $800 a month in premiums to keep a plan she says is inadequate. … ‘It’s not really covering what I need it to cover,’ she said.”