Coloradans’ Pre-existing Conditions Coverage Still at Risk as Court Rules on GOP Health Care Lawsuit
Cory Gardner Supports Lawsuit, Voted for GOP Tax Bill That Sparked Latest Effort to Gut Health Coverage
Denver, CO - Coloradans’ pre-existing conditions coverage protections and other health care benefits remain at risk following a federal court ruling on the GOP’s lawsuit to overturn the Affordable Care Act. Senator Cory Gardner believes the ACA is unconstitutional and supports the lawsuit, which the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative warned could “bring a lot of chaos” to Coloradans’ access to life-saving care. The GOP’s tax scam spurred the lawsuit.
Colorado Democratic Party Executive Director Halisi Vinson:
“Hundreds of thousands of Coloradans’ access to quality health coverage remains in limbo as Senator Gardner and President Trump’s lawsuit moves ahead. Senator Gardner built his political career on repealing the Affordable Care Act, and now his continued sabotage could drive up costs and gut coverage protections for nearly 800,000 Coloradans with pre-existing conditions. Clearly the only way Coloradans can protect our access to affordable health care is by voting out Donald Trump and Cory Gardner next November.”
Gardner “reiterated his desire to repeal the Affordable Care Act” in October. He has voted at least 13 times to repeal, defund or block the ACA -- and he does not have a plan to fully protect coverage for Coloradans with pre-existing conditions if the law is repealed.
If successful, the lawsuit could mean an end to:
- Life-saving protections for nearly 800,000 Coloradans with pre-existing conditions
- Medicaid expansion coverage for nearly 400,000 Coloradans
- Essential benefits like maternity care, preventative care, and limits on out-of-pocket costs -- including for employer-based plans
- Parents’ ability to keep children on their insurance until age 26 and support for rural hospitals
- Colorado’s new reinsurance program, which has lowered marketplace premiums by an average of 20 percent