Joyce Calls on Pelosi to Advance His Bill to Protect Ohioans with Preexisting Conditions

Statement

Yesterday, Congressman Dave Joyce (OH-14) sent a letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, urging her to bring his bill to protect individuals with preexisting conditions to the House floor for a vote.

"As we approach the end of 2019, I write to urge the advancement of legislation that reflects the urgent priorities of everyday Americans," Dave writes in the letter. "Specifically, I urge congressional action to protect health insurance coverage for individuals with preexisting conditions. As you know, a U.S. District Court in Texas ruled last December that the individual mandate stands in conflict with the Constitution, invalidating the entire law, including the sections which protect coverage for individuals with pre-existing conditions. My bill prevents that potential consequence from becoming reality."

At the start of the 116th Congress, Dave reintroduced H.R. 383, the Continuing Coverage for Preexisting Conditions Act of 2019. Specifically, this legislation would sever five federal requirements related to preexisting conditions from the Affordable Care Act (42 USC 300gg, 42 USC 300gg-1, 42 USC 300gg-2, 42 USC 300gg-3, and 42 USC 300gg-4) so that if the individual mandate were to be found unconstitutional or invalid, the protections for individuals with preexisting conditions would remain in place.

"While we may have differing opinions on the Affordable Care Act and the viability of a government-controlled health care system as a whole, I think we can both agree that deliberate, bipartisan steps must be taken to protect coverage for this vulnerable population as the Affordable Care Act's litigation inches closer to a conclusion," Dave states. "I stand ready to work with you and my colleagues across the aisle to advance my legislation, which would do just that."

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