House Holds Hearing on Bills Strengthening ACA and Pre-Existing Conditions

On February 13, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing titled “Strengthening Our Health Care System: Legislation to Reverse ACA Sabotage and Ensure Pre-Existing Conditions Protections.” ANCOR is sharing this because it shows which issues are preoccupying members of Congress, and because the broader topics discussed are generally relevant to people with intellectual / developmental disabilities (I/DD).

The hearing featured two bills that focus mostly on preventing “skimpy” health care plans because of their implications for people with pre-existing conditions, and one bill restoring health care exchange navigator funding. Intellectual / developmental disabilities are often considered to be pre-existing conditions by the insurance industry. Additionally, navigators have been helpful to people with disabilities seeking to make health care informed decisions, as ANCOR has shared in the past. For the convenience of ANCOR members who want to know more about these bills, we are sharing a summary of the hearing prepared by our lobbyists Rodney Whitlock and Katie Weider.