Harrisburg, Pa. — The Pa. House of Representatives voted to advance a bill package that enshrines parts of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into Pennsylvania law. The bills were introduced due to uncertainty about the future of the ACA at the federal level.
The bill package includes:
Health Insurance Preventive Services Coverage Act: Requires health insurance policies to cover preventive care services without cost-sharing
“We are committed to making sure that health insurance works for all Pennsylvanians, regardless of what happens in Washington, DC,” said House Insurance Committee Majority Chairman Perry Warren, who sponsored the bill to maintain coverage for preventative service. “The ACA requires health insurers to cover many different types of preventive care, and it’s saved countless lives. We must ensure that this aspect of the ACA as well as the other protections we voted for remain in place. It could literally be a matter of life or death.”
Health Insurance Protections Against Limitations Act: Stops insurance executives from capping coverage for essential benefits
“No patient should ever have to hear that they’ve maxed out their coverage when they still have months of treatment ahead,” said House Health Committee Majority Chairman Dan Frankel, who sponsored the bill banning lifetime limits on coverage for essential benefits. “Our bill package would ensure that regardless of attacks on consumer protections by Washington politicians, Pennsylvanians can rely on their insurance coverage when they need it most.”
Health Insurance for Young Adults Act: Children may remain under their parents’ insurance until age 26
“The federal Affordable Care Act addressed a significant issue by allowing parents to keep their children on their health insurance until age 26, preventing young adults from losing coverage when they turned 18,” said state Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, who sponsored the bill to ensure children have insurance until age 26. “However, parts of the Affordable Care Act remain under threat from Republicans in Congress. If the Affordable Care Act were ever struck down, many adult children could lose their health insurance, potentially leading to a crisis in the health insurance market. I was proud to stand with my colleagues and vote yes on my bill today, taking an important step toward protecting health coverage for young Pennsylvanians.”
Health Insurance Access Protections Act: Protects coverage for pre-existing conditions
“We need to give people peace of mind that their insurance coverage will continue, no matter what happens at the federal level,” said state Rep. Jim Haddock, who sponsored the bill protecting coverage for pre-existing conditions. “Before the ACA, it was common for people with serious ailments like cancer or heart conditions to be denied health insurance coverage because of having a pre-existing condition. This meant that many Pennsylvanians seeking essential medical care faced unnecessary burdens on their finances and health.”
This year marks the 15th anniversary of the signing into law of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
“The Affordable Care Act made necessary changes to our health care system. I saw first-hand as a physician how discriminatory health insurance practices prevented people from getting the care they needed because they could not get coverage. Ambiguous definitions of pre-existing conditions were enough to keep people from getting insurance — too often keeping people away from the care they needed until situations became an emergency,” said Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh. “Everyone — no matter where you get health insurance — is better off because of the ACA’s actions to prioritize consumer protection in health insurance, and we cannot go backwards. We must continue the progress we have made over the last 15 years by codifying these critical consumer protections in Pennsylvania law so no matter what, Pennsylvanians’ health will be protected.”
The bill package will move to the Pa. Senate for further consideration.
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