Forging ahead with his plan to issue an executive action on health coverage for pre-existing medical conditions - even though that type of health insurance coverage is already required by the Obama health law - President Donald Trump said Monday he was doing it to send a message for the GOP this election year.
"It's a signal to people, it's a second platform, we have pre-existing conditions will be taken care of, 100 percent," the President told reporters.
But pre-existing conditions are already taken care of 100 percent under the Obama health law, no matter whether the President signs an order which he referred to on Monday as a ‘double safety net.’
Trump suggests it will be better to outlaw preexisting conditions bans by executive order rather than a law which is already on the books. pic.twitter.com/evvJyVeFUL
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) August 10, 2020
While the President wants to reinforce one of the most popular provisions of the Obama health law, Democrats have also pointed out that Republicans are currently asking the U.S. Supreme Court to throw out the entire law.
“Here’s a double safety net, @realDonaldTrump,” tweeted Democratic health expert Topher Spiro, “drop the lawsuit against Obamacare and its pre-existing condition protections.”
Democrats and health groups have mocked the President repeatedly since he announced his plan for a pre-existing conditions executive order last week.
“They think Americans are stupid,” said Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA). “You can smell the desperation.”
I told my staff to cut and paste the ObamaCare law into a bill I’m going to introduce next week. I’m going to call it the Affordable Care Act. I want to be just as cool as @realDonaldTrump and repeat what is already in existing law. https://t.co/89jdDgeFPQ
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) August 8, 2020
THIS. IS. A. CULT.
— Sean Casten (@SeanCasten) August 8, 2020
Pre-existing conditions are covered under the ACA. Thanks, Obama and thanks Congress for turning a bill into a law.
Hogan, you may now return to thanking your boss for making the sun rise this morning. https://t.co/Sl7cm1c4Yj
While President Trump wants to take some kind of action related to pre-existing conditions, his own administration spells it out on the website of the Department of Health and Human Services.
“Under current law, health insurance companies can’t refuse to cover you or charge you more just because you have a “pre-existing condition” — that is, a health problem you had before the date that new health coverage starts,” the HHS states.