Reps. Conley, Rotella applaud health insurance safeguards.

State Reps. Christine Conley, D-Groton, and Kate Rotella, D-Stonington, applauded a bill requiring health insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions that they co-sponsored and that Gov. Ned Lamont signed into law on July 1.

The law will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2020, according to a news release.

“For the past two years we have watched as Washington works toward the goal of repealing (the Affordable Care Act) in its entirety,” Conley said in a statement. “This law ensures that people with preexisting medical and chronic conditions have access to the health care they need. It also adds to previous legislation we’ve acted on concerning health care protections.”

“This important legislation will help protect people with pre-existing conditions and I am proud to have supported this measure,” Rotella said in a statement. “When people are dealing with a devastating illness they should not be worried about insurance coverage.”

According to the news release, the new law:

Prohibits short-term health insurance policies issued on a nonrenewable basis for a term of six months or less from containing a pre-existing condition provision

Redefines the term pre-existing condition provision to include pre-existing conditions whether or not medical advice, diagnosis, care or treatment was recommended or received before the coverage effective date

Repeals provisions that mandate coverage for breast cancer survivors, rendered unnecessary due to the change in the definition of pre-existing condition provision

“Prior to the Affordable Care Act, if someone had a (pre-existing) or chronic condition, insurance companies could refuse coverage forcing emergency rooms and Medicaid to absorb the costs and resulting in higher prices for everyone,” the release states.