{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-highlights-story-of-odu-student-from-staunton-at-press-conference-on-aca-benefits-for-children-with-pre-existing-conditions", "Kaine Highlights Story Of ODU Student From Staunton At Press Conference On ACA Benefits For Children With Pre-Existing Conditions", "2013-12-12", "2013", "2013-12", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Tim Kaine", "K000384", "www.kaine.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Kaine Highlights Story Of ODU Student From Staunton At Press Conference On ACA Benefits For Children With Pre-Existing Conditions\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThursday, December 12, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 At a press conference on Capitol Hill today\u00a0to highlight how the Affordable Care Act ensures up to 17 million children across the country, including 438,000 in Virginia, with pre-existing conditions are guaranteed health insurance,\u00a0U.S. Senator Tim Kaine highlighted the story of Ashleigh Campbell, an 18-year-old Old Dominion University student from Staunton who was born with congenital heart disease and other serious medical conditions.\r\n\u201cAshleigh was born with a number of very serious health conditions,\u201d said Kaine. \u201cShe has been lucky enough to have insurance through her parents and excellent medical care at the University of Virginia. But she was always concerned about where she would go if she ever lost that protection or when it came time for her to get her own health insurance plan.\u201d\r\nKaine explained that while he supports reforms to improve the Affordable Care Act, he strongly opposes efforts to repeal the legislation, which has protected children and young adults like Ashleigh by preventing insurers from denying them health coverage.\r\n\u201cThis is a profoundly important moral issue,\u201d said Kaine. \u201cWe\u2019re going to work to reform anything that needs to be fixed- that\u2019s what legislators do, more than pass new laws what we do is work on improving existing laws\u2026Of all the reasons to support the ACA, there is no reason more powerful than the ban on discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions.\u201d\r\nKaine concluded his speech by sharing a quote from Ashleigh.\r\n\u201cI want people to stop looking at the politics. People like me can\u2019t survive without health care. I wish more people would understand.\u00a0 It would be almost impossible for me to get health insurance without this protection.\u201d Ashleigh said.\r\nPrior to the Affordable Care Act, in the vast majority of states, insurance companies in the individual and small group markets could deny coverage, charge higher premiums, and/or limit benefits to individuals based on pre-existing conditions,\u00a0which are\u00a0health conditions \u2013 like heart disease, cancer, asthma, diabetes or high blood pressure \u2013 that exist before someone applies for or enrolls in a new health policy. Since 2010, thanks to the health care law, up to 17 million children with pre-existing conditions \u2013 including up to 438,000 in Virginia \u2013 can no longer be denied\u00a0insurance coverage\u00a0because of their health. And, beginning in January 2014, this protection will extend to adults.\u00a0\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-highlights-story-of-odu-student-from-staunton-at-press-conference-on-aca-benefits-for-children-with-pre-existing-conditions"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6564370598644018, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}