Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine’s Statement On Rep. Roy Blunt’s Assertion that Adults Don’t Deserve Preexisting Conditions’ Protections

Washington – Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Tim Kaine issued the following statement in response to Missouri Republican Senate candidate Rep. Roy Blunt’s contention that adults don’t deserve protections from preexisting-condition discrimination because adults with preexisting conditions “have done nothing to take care of themselves”:

“Roy Blunt’s callous assertion that adults with preexisting conditions like cancer, diabetes, congenital heart disease and others do not deserve the right to health insurance because they ‘have done nothing to take care of themselves’ shows an insensitivity to the people of Missouri and America.

“Thanks to Democrats’ hard work to pass health reform, millions of Americans who have been discriminated against by insurance companies because of their preexisting conditions soon will find that they no longer have to fear being denied health insurance.

“Starting this year, health insurance companies will no longer be able to deny insurance to children with preexisting conditions, and the most vulnerable adults with preexisting conditions will be able to enter a high risk pool to obtain insurance. In coming years, adults will no longer be discriminated against through coverage denial because of preexisting conditions. That will be a victory for Missourians and the American people.

“Sadly, if Roy Blunt and his Republican colleagues had their way, health insurance companies would still be able to continue their worst practices and leave millions uninsured due to preexisting conditions – even though many of the conditions are totally beyond the control of the person in need of health care.

“There is no mistaking who Roy Blunt and the Republicans stand with, and it is clearly not the people of Missouri. Fortunately, thanks to health insurance reform, Missourians and millions of other Americans across the country now have greater control over their health insurance decisions and have greater protection against insurance company discrimination.

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Enjoy this video courtesy of the DCCC.

On January 30, the world lost a great activist named Melanie Shouse. She died Saturday January 30 at the age of 41 from breast cancer at her home in Overland. Melanie spent the last 4 1/2 years fighting tirelessly for health care reform and also to send Barack Obama to the White House. She lived to see the latter dream accomplished but died before a healthcare bill was signed into law.

I had the pleasure of meeting Melanie during the presidential primaries and campaigning alongside her for our nominee, Barack Obama. I can say unequivocally that she was one of the hardest working and most dedicated volunteers on the campaign. I will never forget Melanie’s speech on the Arch grounds in days before the historic election that sent Barack Obama to the White House. Melanie, speaking on the subject of healthcare reform, said we must “take on the big insurance monopoly and liberate American families form the slavery of skyrocketing insurance premiums and canceled coverage, which leave millions of us in a state of perpetual fear and insecurity …” Last year, we came closer than ever before to passing the kind of healthcare reform Melanie mentioned in her speech. Now, healthcare reform is in limbo because our congressional leaders do not have the courage to make tough decisions and send a final bill to the President’s desk.

This past weekend, during a speech to the Democratic National Committee, the President mentioned Melanie and used her story as an example of why we must continue working for healthcare reform. I will quote the President in full, because no one can articulate this message as well as he can. The President said:

“Think about this: She was fighting that whole time not just to get me elected, not even to get herself health insurance, but because she understood that there were others coming behind her who were going to find themselves in the same situation and she didn’t want somebody else going through that same thing. How can I say to her, “You know what? We’re giving up”? How can I say to her family, “This is too hard”? How can Democrats on the Hill say, “This is politically too risky”? How can Republicans on the Hill say, “We’re better off just blocking anything from happening.”

That can’t be the message that the American people are delivering. Yes, they’re nervous, they’re anxious, they’re in a tough time right now. The thing they want most are jobs. They really don’t like the process in Washington, the sausage-making. That part I understand. But I know that they don’t — but I know they don’t want to just offer nothing to the millions of people in America who are in the situation that that woman was in. That’s what we campaigned on. And we are going to keep on working to get it done -– with Democrats and I hope with Republicans and everybody else in between -– to bring down costs, to end the worst practices of the insurance industry, to finally give every American the chance to choose quality, affordable health care. We are going to keep on working to get it done.”

The President is right, we have come too far to quit. Melanie and the millions of Americans that cannot afford healthcare or are being denied access by greedy insurance companies deserve better. Congress and the White House should work around the clock to pass a bill that will extend coverage to the 31 million uninsured, put an end to some of the insurance industry’s worst and most abusive practices.

Democrats promised to deliver healthcare reform during the campaign cycle and now a year has passed. It is time to deliver on the promise – for all Americans, but particularly for our fallen friend Melanie. Let’s not let her work be in vain. Put pressure on our Federal representatives tell them not to back down, Melanie didn’t.

After this weekend’s developments, it now appears the Senate will have an opportunity to take an up or down vote on the genuine health reform the American people deserve – reform that offers security to those who have health insurance and affordable options for those who don’t.  This is the type of reform that we worked for when we elected Barack Obama President.

Although there is still much work left to do, last night’s vote is major step forward for the American people.  Does the bill do everything that we wanted, no. But last night’s vote is the first major step to reforming our broken system – an effort that progressives have been working toward for nearly a century. Now, we are on the cusp of making health care reform a reality in America.

As with any piece of legislation, compromise is part of the process.  However, some of the changes that have been made to bill are good additions that will make this historic bill even stronger:

• Between the time the bill passes and the time the insurance exchanges are up and running, insurance companies that try to jack up their rates will be punished.  Insurance companies that hike their prices may be barred from selling plans on the exchange.
• Starting immediately, insurers would not be able to deny children coverage due to pre-existing conditions. Discrimination on the basis of pre-existing conditions for everyone would be banned once the exchanges are open in 2014 – in the meantime, the bill creates a high-risk pool where adults with pre-existing conditions can buy affordable coverage.
• The bill includes explicit language that will protect a patient’s choice of doctors.
• Health insurers would be required to spend more of their revenue on providing you health care (between 80% and 85%) rather than on administrative costs and salaries.
• Small businesses will also receive additional assistance

These protections are in addition to the ones President Obama and Congressional Democrats have been talking about for months including, no longer will insurance companies be able to drop someone’s coverage if they become sick and no longer will anyone be subject to unlimited out of pocket costs. These types of out of pocket expenses are one of the major contributors to personal bankruptcy.

The bill will save families and small businesses money on their premiums, significantly reduce the national deficit, and add years to the life of the Medicare Trust Fund.  And perhaps most importantly, it will make coverage affordable for more than 30 million Americans who currently do not have it.

Are they items that we all would want in the health care reform package that did not make it in the Senate bill – yes, but know that we still have to merge the Senate and House bills in Conference and the final version of the bill is not yet clear.  Things in the bill might improve, or if we are not vigilant, may get worse.  The bottom line is this:  We are standing at the precipice of a historic policy shift in our country; we have move this policy farther in a shorter time than anyone since the 1960’s.  We need to continue to support President Obama, House and Senate leaders as they move toward final passage.  And then we need to stay engaged to make sure we get more Senators and Reps elected in the next cycle to improve on what the President and this Congress will have accomplished.

– Brian Wahby, Chairman