Washington, DC – U.S. Rep. Katie Hill (D-Agua Dulce) has cosponsored sweeping new health care legislation that would lower Californian’s health insurance premiums, crack down on junk health insurance plans, strengthen protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and reverse this Administration’s health care sabotage.

“For me, this fight is personal,” Hill said in a statement. “As the daughter of a nurse, I grew up with an understanding of how important and vital it is to have access to affordable, quality health care. I have met with so many parents of children with pre-existing conditions in our community and I will fight like hell to protect them. With this bill, we are taking another step forward to lower health costs for our communities.”

The Protecting Pre-Existing Conditions & Making Health Care Affordable Act was introduced Tuesday, the day after the Trump Administration asked a federal court to strike down not only the Affordable Care Act’s protections for people with pre-existing conditions, but every other part of the health law.

If passed, the bill includes provisions that will:

Lower health insurance premiums with strengthened and expanded affordability assistance
* Strengthening tax credits in the Marketplace to lower Americans’ health insurance premiums and allow more middle-class individuals and families to qualify for subsidies;
* Ensuring that families who don’t have an offer of affordable coverage from an employer can still qualify for subsidies in the Marketplace; and,
* Providing funding for reinsurance, to help with high-cost claims, improve Marketplace stability, and prevent this Administration’s sabotage from raising premiums.

Strengthen protections for people with pre-existing conditions
* Curtailing this 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 that do not cover needed services, such as prescription drugs, maternity care, and substance use disorder treatment.

Stop insurance companies from selling junk health insurance plans
* Stopping efforts to push Americans into junk health insurance plans that do not provide coverage for essential medical treatments and drugs, and that are allowed to discriminate against people with pre-existing medical conditions.

Empower states to innovate and invest in enrolling more people in affordable health coverage
* Requiring open enrollment outreach, education, and funding for navigators;
* Investing in state efforts to conduct outreach to increase enrollment, educate consumers of their rights, and help individuals navigate the health insurance system; and
* Empowering states to implement new approaches to increasing enrollment and allows states to set up their own Marketplaces.

On the first day of the 116th Congress, House Democrats voted to throw the full legal weight of the House of Representatives against Republicans’ Texas v. U.S. lawsuit to repeal protections for people with pre-existing conditions and every other benefit and protection the Affordable Care Act provides.

House Democrats are continuing to develop and advance bold legislation to lower out-of-control prescription drug prices.

And with the Protecting Pre-Existing Conditions & Making Health Care More Affordable Act of 2019, House Democrats are taking another step forward to deliver on our promise to reverse the GOP’s health care sabotage and update and improve the Affordable Care Act.