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VERIFY: Trump's false claim that he 'saved' pre-existing conditions

Bloomberg claims Trump wants to block insurance coverage if you have pre-existing conditions. But the President says he’s the one who saved coverage.

There are two warring claims here:

The first comes from an advertisement run by Democratic Presidential Candidate Mike Bloomberg.

“Trump repeatedly tried to undermine coverage for 134,000 Americans with Pre-existing conditions,” part of the ad says. Bloomberg himself is later heard saying, “He wants to deny you access to coverage.”

President Trump later responded to this ad on twitter.

THE QUESTION:

What’s the reality here? Is the President undermining protections for pre-existing conditions? Or is he the one protecting them?

THE ANSWER:

While President Trump has frequently said he plans to keep and protect provisions that require coverage for pre-existing conditions, his administration in party are currently working to remove them. 

The Affordable Care Act, often called Obamacare, is the only current law that provides these protections and it’s been one of Trump’s main goals since his 2016 campaign to repeal it. 

Without a separate law that requires insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions, repealing or overturning Obamacare would effectively remove those protections. 

Put simply, President Trump would only need to “save” pre-existing conditions if his administration and fellow Republicans followed through on their promise to overturn Obamacare.

SOURCES:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

The Affordable Care Act.

President Donald Trump’s 2016 Campaign Site.

WHAT WE FOUND:

It’s important to identify what part of the law actually prevents insurance companies from discriminating based on pre-existing conditions.

That’s Subtitle C, Part 1,  Of the Affordable Care Act. (Page 36)

“Prohibition of preexisting condition exclusions or other discriminations based on health status,” made it illegal for insurance providers to deny coverage or impose exclusions due to pre-existing conditions.

The bill was passed in 2010 and the provision took effect in 2014.

Put simply. It’s part of ObamaCare and took effect under President Obama’s administration.

President Trump had no role in the creation or passing of the Affordable Care Act -- which allows those with pre-existing conditions to get coverage.

While President Trump has consistently said he wants to keep protections for pre-existing conditions, he has also consistently said he wants to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

It was actually one of his platform promises during his 2016 campaign.

That’s the distinction here.

Since these protections have been in effect since Obama was president, Trump would only have to save them if his administration and fellow Republicans followed through on their promise to overturn Obamacare.

President Trump and Republicans say they have a plan to do both.
They’ll keep protections for pre-existing conditions and repeal Obamacare.

But, they haven’t tried to make that law yet and they haven’t actually said how it would work.

That means, looking at claims right now, we can verify that Trump’s claim is False.

He didn’t “save” pre-existing conditions” as he claimed.

In fact his administration and party are working to have them removed right now by trying to overturn the law.

Before You Leave, Check This Out