{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.manchin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/manchin-the-only-people-covered-by-protect-act-are-senate-republicans", "Manchin: The Only People Covered By Protect Act Are Senate Republicans", "2020-09-30", "2020", "2020-09", "Democrat", "House", "WV", "Joe Manchin", "M001183", "www.manchin.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "September 30, 2020\n\t\t\t Manchin: The Only People Covered By Protect Act Are Senate Republicans \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWashington,\r\nDC  U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) released the following statement on his\r\nvote against the Protect Act  a misleading bill that will do nothing to\r\nprotect Americans with pre-existing conditions from losing their access to\r\ncomprehensive healthcare. For\r\n10 years, Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans have been leading the charge\r\nto dismantle the Affordable Care Act without a replacement plan. We now\r\nfind ourselves 42 days away from the Texas vs. California arguments and\r\nSenate Republicans are once again shopping a do-nothing bill to fool Americans\r\ninto thinking their loved ones with pre-existing conditions will be protected.\r\nThe only people covered by this bill are Senate Republicans. The Affordable\r\nCare Act is in need of repairs but to throw the baby out with the bathwater\r\nwill leave 800,000 West Virginians with pre-existing conditions without the\r\ncare they desperately need. Background Senator\r\nThom Tillis' (R-NC) Protect Act was initially introduced in April 2019\r\nand reintroduced just last week.  \r\n The\r\nproposal fails to provide an explanation for treatments for pre-existing\r\ncondition exclusions. Meaning that while a consumer with pre-existing\r\nconditions can gain coverage, the bill could allow insurers to exclude\r\ncertain types of care. For example, a patient with a history of cancer\r\nwould gain insurance coverage, but the insurer would be able to exclude coverage\r\nfor screenings or treatment for a reoccurrence of cancer.\r\n It\r\nposes no limit on how much more insurers in the individual market could\r\ncharge a patient dependent on health status, age gender or occupation.\r\nMeaning a woman of childbearing age could be charged more because of her\r\ngender, as well as a 50 year old with heart disease, because of their age. Current\r\nprotections for patients with pre-existing conditions include: \r\nGuaranteed\r\naccess to insurance in the individual market regardless of health. Previously,\r\ninsurers typically usedmedical underwritingto deny coverage to people\r\nwith pre-existing conditions, and also excluded coverage of any pre-existing\r\nconditions for people who were accepted. \r\nCommunity\r\nrating in the individual and small business markets, prohibiting insurers from\r\nvarying premiums based on people's health, which was common before the ACA. \r\nRequired\r\ncoverage of essential benefits. Prior to the ACA, insurers in the individual\r\nmarket oftenexcluded coverage of maternity, mental health, and\r\nsubstance abuse.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article", 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.manchin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/manchin-the-only-people-covered-by-protect-act-are-senate-republicans"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5148026868700981, "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"}