Crow Responds to Trump’s Sabotage of Health Care; Helps Introduce New Health Care Legislation to Strengthen Protections and Lower Health Care Costs

Congressman Jason Crow today announced his support and co-sponsorship of the Protecting Pre-Existing Conditions & Making Health Care Affordable Act (H.R. 1884). The sweeping legislation aims to reverse damage already done by the Trump administration and stabilize the individual marketplace.

"Health care is a human right, not a privilege. No one in America should die or go bankrupt because they can't afford health care. I promised Colorado that we would protect the Affordable Care Act and strengthen our health care system, and today, we took the first step forward in delivering on that promise." said Crow. "While this administration works to strip protections for people with pre-existing conditions, I'm proud to be part of a solution that will protect families, honor our values, and save Americans from the skyrocketing cost of health care."

The Protecting Pre-Existing Conditions & Making Health Care More Affordable Act of 2019 includes provisions that will:

Lower health insurance premiums with strengthened and expanded affordability assistance by:

• Strengthening tax credits in the marketplace to lower Americans' health insurance premiums and allowing more middle-class individuals and families to qualify for subsidies;
• Fixing the family loophole and ensuring that families who can't get affordable coverage from their employer can still qualify for subsidies in the marketplace; and,
• Providing funding for reinsurance to help with high cost claims and improve marketplace stability.

Strengthen protections for people with pre-existing conditions by:

• Curtailing the Trump Administration's efforts to give states waivers to undermine protections for people with pre-existing conditions and weaken standards for essential health benefits, which would leave consumers with less comprehensive plans.

Stop insurance companies from selling junk health insurance plans by:

• Preventing the Trump Administration's efforts to push Americans into junk health insurance plans that do not provide coverage for essential health benefits, like maternal health care and prescription drugs, and that are allowed to discriminate against people with pre-existing medical conditions.

Reverse the GOP's health care sabotage and empower states to innovate and invest in enrolling more people in affordable health coverage by:

• Requiring funding for open enrollment outreach, education, and navigators -- all of which the Trump Administration has sought to drastically cut or end
• Empowering states to implement new approaches to increasing enrollment and allowing states to set up their own marketplaces like Colorado; and
• Holding the Administration accountable for its use of federal dollars dedicated to increasing enrollment, outreach, and running the federal exchange.