TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Andrew Gillum is once again speaking out, this time proposing a bill aiming to create "the nation's strongest state protections for people with preexisting conditions."
Tuesday, joined by Florida residents whose access to healthcare would be directly impacted by new, national legislation, Gillum shared a state-based plan to protect insurance coverage for Floridians with preexisting conditions.
He announced that in his first legislative session, he would work with legislators to draft, pass, and sign a bill that "creates the nation's strongest state protections for people with preexisting conditions."
The Tallahassee mayor asserted that under his bill insurance companies would be unable to:
- Deny coverage or benefits for any preexisting conditions
- Charge higher premiums on the basis of preexisting conditions
- Use gender ratings to charge women more than men
Gillum also criticized Republicans in Congress, whose vote for President Trump's Affordable Health Care Act. He says that the act, if passed, would allow states to strip away health insurance protections for both women and those with preexisting conditions.
"While Washington is voting to repeal and deny health coverage for millions with preexisting conditions, we must take bold steps to ensure Florida is always a place where people can access the care they need," said Gillum. "As Governor, I will protect those with cancer, diabetes, asthma, and other conditions. Pregnant women won't be turned down in my state. We won't go back to the days when people were denied coverage or forced to pay more because of a preexisting condition — or because they're a woman."
What do you think of Gillum's proposal?
