Rep. Ellison Statement on "Keep Your Health Plan" Act

Statement

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) released the following statement today after voting against the "Keep Your Health Plan" Act, which would allow insurance companies to continue the sale of low-quality insurance plans to consumers:

"The bill passed today represents the 47th Republican attempt to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. It will make it harder for Minnesotans to get affordable health insurance that covers them when they get sick. Speaker Boehner admitted this week that the "Upton Plan" is designed to destroy health care reform. I voted no because the bill would allow insurance companies to discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions and restore the annual limits on coverage that have stopped so many from getting the medical care that they need.

"The "Keep Your Health Plan' Act allows the continued sale of low-quality, unreliable insurance plans. When people with these plans need to go to the doctor, they will find that these "junk" plans don't cover the costs of the care they need. 78% of people who went bankrupt due to medical debt or illness before the Affordable Care Act had insurance coverage, but their coverage didn't protect them.

"Before the Affordable Care Act, millions of people in the private insurance market purchased these low-quality plans with low premiums that were designed to insure them only if they stayed healthy. The insurance company could drop them at any time for any reason and those with preexisting health conditions paid huge premiums or were denied coverage.

"The Affordable Care Act is already working. It's working for Minnesotan Abby Schanfield, who will never have to worry about hitting lifetime limits for the lifesaving care she needs. It's working for Mary DesCombaz, who won't be denied care and will save over $10,000 a year, despite having a rare medical condition.

"The website needs to be fixed and those with plans that have been canceled need help finding affordable new plans. But we can't go back to a time when so many Minnesotans were uninsured or left with low-quality coverage."

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