WASHINGTON –U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) released the following statement after he voted to take up the Protect Act, a bill to protect Texans with pre-existing conditions and ensure they will never be denied health care coverage or be charged more because of a pre-existing condition. Sen. Cornyn became an original cosponsor of the Protect Act in April 2019.
“On top of all the health scares we face right now, Texans should not have to fear being denied access to affordable health insurance because of a pre-existing condition,” said Sen. Cornyn. “Despite the best efforts of Democrats to convince otherwise, I’m committed to ensuring that no Texan will go without coverage due to a pre-existing condition.”
Background:
The Protect Act amends the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to:
- Guarantee the availability of health insurance coverage in the individual or group market, regardless of pre-existing conditions;
- Prohibit discrimination against patients based on health status – including prohibiting increased premiums for patients due to pre-existing conditions; and
- Prohibit insurance companies from excluding coverage of treatments for a beneficiary’s pre-existing condition.