NEWS – CONGRESSMAN PETE STARK
239 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-5065
www.stark.house.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Contact: Brian Cook, (202) 225-3202

WASHINGTON – The House Republican pledge unveiled last week would turn back the clock on health care progress.  Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA), Chairman of the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, today criticized the Republican pledge to kick people off the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plans created as part of health reform and now operating in every state.

"Right now, people with pre-existing conditions who have been uninsured for six months have a new health insurance option available to them because of the health reform law," said Chairman Stark.  "The Republican pledge to repeal health reform would eliminate the new Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plans – kicking vulnerable people out of their only health insurance option and leaving them without coverage once again."

Health reform provides immediate access to a Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan in every state for people who have been denied coverage based on a pre-existing condition and uninsured for at least six months.  These plans will serve as a bridge until 2014 when all pre-existing condition limitations will be prohibited.  People are already enrolled in these plans (see examples here: www.whitehouse.gov/healthreform).

The Republican pledge to repeal health reform would also repeal these new plans.

For additional information on how the Republican pledge will hurt the health care system:
Eliminate the small business tax credit: http://go.usa.gov/xsj
Re-open the Medicare Part D donut hole: http://go.usa.gov/xGe
Repeal investment in health IT: http://go.usa.gov/xGF