From the KDP: Video: Bevin Refuses to Support Bill Protecting People with Pre-Existing Conditions, Says “I think we should go back…”
EDITOR'S NOTE: We just got this from the Beshear-Coleman campaign: "State Representative Patti Minter said: 'I'm disappointed that when Matt Bevin came to Bowling Green he made clear he doesn't support the bill I've introduced to protect health care for Kentuckians with pre-existing conditions. As the mother of a son with Type 1 diabetes, this fight is deeply personal to me. Bevin would rather go back to when insurance companies denied coverage to people with pre-existing conditions, just like my son. Additionally, high-risk insurance pools in KY were a disaster that only led to less coverage and higher costs. It's cruel and wrong. We deserve better.'"
Frankfort, KY — In case you missed it, WBKO TV in Bowling Green asked Governor Bevin about State Representative Patti Minter’s bill to protect health care for people with pre-existing conditions.
Whenresponding to WBKO, Matt Bevin refused to say he would support the bill. Instead the governor said:
“We had a high-risk insurance pool… we could go back to that. I think we should go back to something like that.”
High-risk pools were a disaster in Kentucky for people with pre-existing conditions:
The Kentucky Center for Economic Policysaid, “Coverage was expensive for Kentuckians and covered few people.”
WFPLdescribed Kentucky’s high-risk pools, stating: “It sounds good on paper, but high-risk pool insurance only worked for a fraction of the people who needed it. At the program’s 13-year-long peak, only 4,837 people were enrolled.”
The Lexington Herald-Leader editorial boardhas said: “Many Kentuckians who had been rejected by insurance companies could not afford the premiums for the high-risk pool, which never covered more than 5,000 people.”
This summer, Governor Bevinjoined a lawsuit that would let insurance companies deny essential coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, like prescription drug coverage, mental health services, maternity care, hospitalization, and chronic disease management, among others. If Bevin gets his way, theAmerican Medical Association said it would “revive pre-existing condition discrimination.”
“Health care for people with pre-existing conditions is on the ballot in Kentucky’s race for governor. Andy Beshear is a champion for affordable health care and has a plan to expand access and protect our families,” said Marisa McNee, Kentucky Democratic Party spokesperson. “This governor is actively trying to rip essential coverage away from people with pre-existing conditions. That’s a direct threat to the health and financial security of our families. Matt Bevin should explain why he wants to go back to the days when people with pre-existing conditions were not protected.”
Bevin Supports Higher Costs And Coverage Restrictions For Kentuckians With A Pre-Existing Condition