House Democrats introduced a bill that aims to protect the patient protections enshrined in the Affordable Care Act.
A day after the Trump administration reversed course on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) by telling the Fifth District Court of Appeals it agreed with a lower court’s opinion that the entire law is unconstitutional, House Democrats introduced a bill that aims to protect the patient protections enshrined in the ACA.
Called the “Protecting Pre-Existing Conditions & Making Health Care More Affordable Act of 2019,” the bill is an effort to lower health insurance premiums by expanding eligibility for premium tax credits beyond 400% of the federal poverty line and increasing the size of tax credits for all income brackets. The legislation also creates a national reinsurance program to help cover care for patients with costly conditions, and offers funding to states to establish their own state-based marketplaces.
The bill was introduced Tuesday by Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone Jr, D-New Jersey; Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal, D-Massachusetts; and Education and Labor Chairman Bobby Scott, D-Virginia.
“This comprehensive proposal follows through on our commitment to make healthcare more affordable and to defend critical protections for the more than 133 million Americans living with pre-existing conditions,” Pallone said in a statement.
Late Monday, the Department of Justice said it now backs the December 2018 ruling from a district court judge in Texas that said the entire ACA is invalidated without the individual mandate, which was removed when Congress reduced the penalty to $0.
The bill introduced Tuesday includes:
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