JHB introduces bill to uphold pre-existing condition protection

LONGVIEW — Southwest Washington Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler introduced a bill Wednesday to guarantee health care coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, regardless of Obamacare’s legal status.

The bill would separate the Affordable Care Act’s pre-existing conditions protections piece from the rest of the act so if a court were to rule the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional or invalid, the protection would still be enforced. Herrera Beutler, a Clark County Republican, said in a press release that she supports solutions to ensure that people with pre-existing conditions can access affordable, quality health care.

“Obamacare has many weaknesses, has failed to deliver on too many promises, and has actually harmed Americans’ health care coverage in very real ways – but that doesn’t mean we should allow vulnerable individuals to have their coverage further disrupted,” she said in a press release

If the ACA was found invalid by a court, individuals with pre-existing conditions may face problems being offered coverage, paying more because of their conditions or finding insurance coverage for services to treat those conditions.

Republicans, including Herrera Beutler, have tried numerous times to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which is also is credited with helping millions of Americans get health care coverage. It was the signature piece of legislation of the Obama presidency. Coverage of pre-existing conditions is one of its major and most popular provisions.

Congress should act to make sure individuals with conditions that require constant and often expensive medical care don’t “have the rug pulled out from under them,” Herrera Beutler said.

Four republican congressmen — Rep. John Katko of New York and Reps. David Joyce, Anthony Gonzalez and Mike Turner, all of Ohio — also sponsored the bill. Ohio is a key state in presidential electoral politics.