Republican senators defended their Obamacare overhaul bill from concerns about whether it would erode protections for pre-existing conditions.
Sens. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said that Republican governors won’t eliminate pre-existing condition protections in Obamacare under their new legislation. The senators spoke during a CNN town hall on the fate of Obamacare.
Cassidy and Graham are touting a bill that lets states waive key Obamacare insurer regulations such as community rating that keep insurers from charging people more money.
They say that for states to do that, they have to prove to the federal government that they will provide affordable and adequate coverage to people with pre-existing conditions.
However, there is no set definition on what adequate and affordable is in the bill. Cassidy has said that governors won’t erode protections for patients with pre-existing conditions.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., doubted that claim. He noted that before Obamacare, 43 states didn’t allow community rating.
“The Affordable Care Act has done some important things,” he said. “Let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water.”
