Tester Defends 152,000 Montanans with Preexisting Conditions on Senate Floor

Ugh no thank you, Mr President in uh rise today, on behalf of uh a hundred and 52000 Montana who's healthcare coverage is currently in jeopardy. Next week in a Texas court House. Uh will become the newest battlefield in oregon's healthcare the latest attack is the lost attempting to get rid of legal protections for folks, with preexisting conditions protections that make it illegal for each insurance companies to deny health care coverage or charge absurd It's because of common conditions, conditions, like high blood pressure or diabetes or heart disease or cancer or even pregnancy. These protections were signed into law almost 10 years ago passed by majorities in both the House in the scent and despite many attempts to undermine them. They've been upheld by the Supreme court and continue to be supported by members of both parties in Congress and that is because Majority more than three force of America and support these protections in fact, the kaiser family foundation recently reported that eighty eight percent Democrats, 77 percent of independence and 58 percent of Republican think it's very important to maintain protections for folks. With preexisting conditions so why are we even here. Well in June, the Department of Justice announced it would stop defending these critical protections in court that's correct. You heard it right abundance of unelected Bureaucrats have decided to stop defending the law of the land and protects folks with free existing conditions. This decision not only harms millions of Americans and threatens to create chaos in the marketplace and could drive up health care cost not to mention it's a dereliction of duty. Now I don't know it. I know that we all wake up some days and we just rather go fishing but our job is a job and you just can't decide that it's not worth doing, especially when your job is defend Protections for millions of Americans and thousands of Montana is with preexisting conditions Montana is like christina from Missouri, who told me last week about how the Justice department's decision can impact your husband, who suffers from a chronic type of leukemia that can be managed. But not cured christina road and I quote, six years ago, we started the cancer journey when my husband was diagnosed with El the type of lymphoma leukemia thankfully found Work it is receiving the carrying needs to manage his chronic disease that has no cure but if he could have been denied health insurance coverage because of a preexisting condition, my husband probably would not have receive the care that he needs karen from Belgrade Montana or something similar saying I am very concerned about the Department of Justice is decision to don't no longer defend Americans against health insurance companies who want to just allow people with Existing conditions I'm, a cancer survivor as is my 22 year old son. It is frightening to think that both of us, maybe unsure about in the future of this trend, continues or Kim from helen, who wrote me and said I've been a type one diabetic for 35 years and the burden is heavy the cost of insulin continues to soar to the point that some people have to choose between their insulin or their rent food or other medication. She says I have Good health insurance through my employer, which makes my the financial cost of my diabetes manageable, but if existing conditions were covered, my next in healthy or could simply choose not to cover my diabetes. Now I'm here to tell you that there are thousands of others in Montana like karen Kim and christina in fact, the new report released today also by the kaiser family foundation found that found that without current protections, without current protections 52 million Americans could be denied health care coverage because of preexisting condition the report broke this Number down even further and found that in billings Montana our state's largest city, one out of every four adults between the ages of eighteen and 64 have a preexisting condition that could prevent them from getting health coverage. If our current protection repealed it's not to mention the thousands of others who could be charged higher racer denied reimbursement for care. If these protections disappear, but instead of they're doing their job like protecting folks, like Kim and karen and christina abundance of unelected bureaucrats at the Department of Justice, could have decided to Help repeal a law. This it's their job to defend well, if they won't help protect Montana, nz, then we will and that is why I have helped introduced legislation that would authorize the Senate to intervene in next week's lawsuit and defend protections for people with preexisting conditions now I am would be the first to tell you that our healthcare system isn't perfect, but folks are no longer denied coverage. Our first to pay higher premiums because of common ailments, like high blood pressure, diabetes or cancer and the vast majority of montanans on both sides of the aisle. I wanna keep it that way that's. Why I work with my colleagues for I'll introduced a bill last week to try to preserve some of these protections and that might sound good in theory but in reality it was still threaten coverage for folks. That, for existing conditions and that is why I'm calling on my colleagues to pass our resolution which which would ensure folks with free existing conditions, gets the coverage they need thousands of Montana in millions of Americans rely on these predictions deserve nothing less with that. Mr President, is good for