{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskill-votes-to-prevent-expansion-of-junk-healthcare-plans-that-can-exclude-preexisting-conditions-raise-costs-for-seniors", "McCaskill Votes to Prevent Expansion of \u2018Junk\u2019 Healthcare Plans that Can Exclude Preexisting Conditions, Raise Costs for Seniors", "2018-10-10", "2018", "2018-10", "Democrat", "House", "MO", "Claire McCaskill", "M001170", "www.mccaskill.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "McCaskill Votes to Prevent Expansion of Junk' Healthcare Plans that Can Exclude Preexisting Conditions, Raise Costs for Seniors \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t Short-term junk' plans threaten access to quality, affordable care for Missouriansespecially those with preexisting conditions \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWednesday, October 10, 2018\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON Continuing her work to protect the millions of Missourians with preexisting conditions, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill today voted to repeal a new Administration rule that expands previously limited short-term junk health insurance plans from 3 to 12 months, or beyond. These bare-bones plans allow insurance companies to eliminate coverage of preexisting conditions and to raise prices for older Missourians.\r\n\r\nThis partisan rule extending these plans opens the door for insurance companies to return to the days of discriminating against Missourians with preexisting conditions and charging seniors even moreand we can't go back there, McCaskill said. Missourians know that actions speak louder than words, and these Republican actions to sabotage the healthcare Missourians rely onrather than both sides working together to lower costs and preserve the critical consumer protections I've fought forhave been loud and clear.\r\n\r\nThe Administration's short-term plans rule expanded the three month limited-duration insurance plans intended to fill temporary gaps in coverage to 12 month plans or beyond, creating a permanent market for these bare-bones plans that can exclude basic health benefits including hospitalization, prescription drugs, maternity care, substance abuse treatment, and allow insurance companies to skirt the requirement that they cover preexisting conditions. An overwhelming majority of healthcare groups and patient and consumer advocatesopposedthis expansion, citing the grave harm it could do to sick patients.\r\n\r\nMaintaining protections for people with preexisting conditions has been a top priority for McCaskill in the Senate. At a recentSenate hearingfocused on problems in the healthcare system, McCaskill called out continued attempts by the Trump Administration, Republican congressional leadership, and Republican Attorneys General to roll back protections for people with preexisting conditions and raise health insurance costs for millions of Missourians. Continuing those efforts,McCaskillled a group of colleaguesin announcing a proposal to defend the constitutionality of preexisting condition protections against the Republican lawsuit.\r\n\r\nAt a Senate hearing in June, McCaskillcriticized Republican effortsto undermine protections on preexisting conditions and raise health insurance costs for millions of Missourians. At the hearing, McCaskill entered into the recorda2010 documentthat outlined more than 400 preexisting conditions that health insurance companies used to deny coverage to individuals beforerules were put in place protecting individuals with preexisting conditions.\r\n\r\nMcCaskill has also fought against rising healthcare and prescription drug costs since joining the Senate. McCaskill's bipartisan proposals to prohibit pharmaceutical gag clauses, which led patients to overpay for their medications,recently passed Congressand is expected to be signed into law this week. Earlier this year, shereleased an investigative reportthat showed that drug prices directly negotiated by the government could save the Medicare Part D program $2.8 billion in a single year on the 20 most commonly prescribed brand-name drugs alone.\r\n\r\nVisitmccaskill.senate.gov/healthcareto learn more about McCaskill's fight to improve healthcare for Missourians.\r\n\r\n###\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\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\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 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.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskill-votes-to-prevent-expansion-of-junk-healthcare-plans-that-can-exclude-preexisting-conditions-raise-costs-for-seniors"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6599290538579226, "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"}