U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson
meets with a group of local residents in Orlando who highlight how individuals could be affected if Obamacare — and its protection of individuals with pre-existing conditions — goes away.
In his campaign to stop the dismantling of Obamacare and one of its most popular provisions — protection of individuals with pre-existing conditions — U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson met with a small group of local residents in Orlando to demonstrate how individuals could be affected if the provision is repealed.
Kenne Wells, her daughter and her granddaughter have a rare genetic disorder called hereditary angioedema. They have unpredictable episodes of severe swelling, which can happen in the throat and close airways. Odella Julien, a certified nursing assistant in Orlando, has type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.
In health insurance terms, individuals such as Wells, her daughter, Jill Thompson, and Julien have pre-existing conditions. Under the Affordable Care Act, they are protected. Health insurance companies can’t deny them coverage.
“It’s pretty dramatic right here why we wrote the law that includes a pre-existing condition [protection],” Nelson, a Democrat seeking re-election, said Monday after hearing the individuals’ stories.
But that might change if a lawsuit filed in federal court by 20 states, including Florida, is successful. Led by Texas, the Republican-led states filed the suit in February, arguing that now that the individual mandate has been repealed, the entire health law, which includes provisions such as protection of individuals with pre-existing conditions, should be dismantled.
Their lawsuit got a boost this month when the Trump administration decided it would not defend the health law.
“If we lose this, I would have to choose between feeding my daughter and paying for my prescription,” said Julien, one of seven Orlando residents who shared their stories with Nelson.
Although Republican Gov. Rick Scott, who is running against Nelson for his U.S. Senate seat, has been a staunch critic of Obamacare, he said he supports a pre-existing condition protection in “any healthcare reform.”
“My position has not changed — I do not agree with efforts to remove pre-existing conditions,” said Scott said in a statement Monday. “I’ve continued to say that it is important to cover individuals with pre-existing conditions and that every American, including those with pre-existing conditions, should have the ability to buy any kind of insurance they want.”
He added, “Obamacare is a disaster and costs way too much, but keeping pre-existing provisions should be a part of any health-care reform. I disagree with efforts to dismantle protections for those with pre-existing conditions.”
Nelson said in response, “That’s a bunch of bull hockey. The state of Florida with the approval of Scott filed suit with [19] other states to strike down the provision of the law that says that an insurance company has to cover a pre-existing condition like you’ve heard today. Now, that’s as clear as a bell.”
Scott’s office said Monday afternoon that he was not involved in the decision to file a lawsuit.
“The Attorney General made the decision to file the lawsuit, which she has the right to do as an independently elected official,” said Scott’s press secretary, Lauren Schenone.