CONTACT: Rep. Riemer 608.266.1733
Sen. Erpenbach 608.266.6670

Madison – The House of Representatives voted last week for a bill put forward by Speaker Paul Ryan that would repeal the Affordable Care Act and the provisions in it that protect Americans from health insurance company abuses. Governor Walker recently said he would be open to dropping protections for people with pre-existing conditions in Wisconsin. Speaker Paul Ryan’s American Health Care Act guts protections for people with pre-existing conditions, imperils essential health benefits that protect patients when they get sick, defunds Planned Parenthood, and jeopardizes Wisconsin families from running into arbitrary annual and lifetime insurance limits.

In light of these developments, Senator Jon Erpenbach (D—Middleton) and Representative Daniel Riemer (D—Milwaukee), along with other Democrats, are putting forward legislation that would protect Wisconsin families from the health care decisions made by Republicans in Washington and Governor Scott Walker.

“The federal government should not abandon its responsibility to protect the health of the American people,” said Rep. Riemer (D-Milwaukee). “Last week, Gov. Walker said he is open to removing pre-existing condition protections. This would jeopardize health care for hundreds of thousands of Wisconsinites. While it remains to be seen if the Senate will act on Speaker Ryan’s and President Trump’s health care bill, it is clear the people of Wisconsin cannot trust Washington or Walker to protect our health care. These bills would guarantee protection for Wisconsinites with pre-existing conditions, those who would run into arbitrary insurance limits, those who rely on family planning clinics for necessary health care, and those who rely on the basic health services enshrined in the law as ‘essential health benefits.’”

“Wisconsin families deserve the security of knowing their insurance policy will cover them when they get sick or hurt. They deserve the opportunity to have access to basic health care and services to keep them well. For too long, insurance companies have had the upper hand. The Affordable Care Act finally leveled the playing field for health care consumers. The bills we are circulating are provisions of the ACA that are extremely popular among Republicans and Democrats. I can’t believe that President Trump, Speaker Ryan and Scott Walker would even consider getting rid of them,” said Sen. Jon Erpenbach (D-Middleton).

The package of bills legislative Democrats are unveiling today protect Wisconsin families from being denied access to or charged more for health insurance through absolutely no fault of their own. They help safeguard Wisconsin families from financial ruin by prohibiting lifetime and annual limits under health insurance plans. They keep out-of-pocket health care costs down by requiring preventive services continue to be at no cost to patients. They promote health and economic security by requiring health insurance plans to cover basic essential health benefits, and ensure that family planning providers are covered via state reimbursement if they have been defunded at the federal level.

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