Senator Collins Votes to Protect Mainers with Pre-Existing Conditions

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senator Susan Collins released this statement following her votes on two bills that would preserve protections for individuals with pre-existing conditions:

“As I have said for years, the Affordable Care Act remains the law of the land, and it is the Department of Justice’s duty to defend it.   I wrote to former Attorney General Sessions in 2018 and to Attorney General Barr twice in 2019, urging them to defend the health care law as well as the protections for people with pre-existing conditions.  The ACA’s protections are critical to the approximately 133 million Americans — including 590,000 Mainers — who are living with pre-existing conditions such as asthma, arthritis, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.  

“Last evening, I voted in favor of the consideration of a bill introduced by Senator Tillis that would have ensured the ACA’s protections for pre-existing conditions are retained.  I believe, however, that other important ACA consumer protections should also be preserved, such as the provisions that allow young adults to remain on their parents’ plan until age 26 and that require plans to offer Essential Health Benefits like maternity coverage, mental health services, and substance use treatment.  For that reason, today I also supported a bill introduced by Senator Schumer that would prohibit the DOJ from proceeding with its misguided lawsuit to overturn the ACA.”

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