Contact: Brad Bainum, bradb@wisdems.org
Vukmir is campaigning on gutting protections for Wisconsinites with pre-existing conditions and taking us back to the days when insurance companies could write their own rules
MADISON — Following her career-long record of siding with powerful insurance companies and legislating their agenda, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Leah Vukmir is campaigning on multiple efforts to gut protections for Wisconsinites with pre-existing conditions.
In the state legislature, Vukmir repeatedly voted with insurance companies at the expense of Wisconsin families –consistently opposing coverage expansions for Wisconsinites, and even voting against coverage for hearing-impaired kids and Wisconsinites in need of oral chemotherapy treatments.
During her U.S. Senate campaign, Vukmir has — true to her record — backed multiple efforts to gut protections that prevent insurance companies from jacking up prices on or denying coverage to Wisconsinites with pre-existing conditions.
1. Vukmir supports repealing the Affordable Care Act’s protections for people with pre-existing conditions — Vukmir is campaigning on repealing the Affordable Care Act and gutting its protections for Wisconsinites with pre-existing conditions. Vice President Mike Pence has said that Vukmir is the vote that Republicans need in the U.S. Senate to pass a Republican repeal plan that would gut pre-existing condition protections. Vukmir is on the record supporting 3 separate GOP repeal plans that would gut protections for Wisconsinites with pre-existing conditions.
- AHCA: Vukmir supported the American Health Care Act, writing in an ALEC press release that it “ensures a stable transition away from the Affordable Care Act.” The AHCA would gut protections for people with pre-existing conditions, take health care away from 23 million Americans and allow insurance companies to charge older Americans thousands more for coverage, according to the AARP.
- Graham-Cassidy: Vukmir supported the Graham-Cassidy health care repeal bill. The Graham-Cassidy repeal plan would gut protections for pre-existing conditions, take health care away from 21 million Americans, spike health care premiums, and impose an “age tax” on older Americans, according to the AARP.
- BCRA: Vukmir indicated support for the Better Care Reconciliation Act, calling it a “great starting point.” The BCRA would gut protections for pre-existing conditions, spike insurance premiums, take care away from 22 million Americans, and impose an “age tax” on older Americans by letting insurance companies charge them more, according to the AARP
2. Vukmir supports lawsuit that seeks to strike down the Affordable Care Act’s protections for people with pre-existing conditions — Vukmir is supportive of Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel’s Gov. Scott Walker-endorsed lawsuit that seeks to dismantle the Affordable Care Act’s protections for Wisconsinites who have pre-existing conditions.
3. Vukmir supports GOP “junk insurance” plans that lets insurers discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions — Vukmir says she supports the Trump Administration’s rule to let insurance companies issue so called “junk insurance” plans, which the AARP says allows insurance companies to “deny coverage to people with preexisting conditions […] and impose an age tax, charging older Americans much higher premiums.” That’s a stark contrast with Tammy Baldwin, who’s leading the fight to protect coverage protections for people with pre-existing conditions by seeking to overturn Republicans’ “junk insurance” plan rule.
When it comes to health care, Leah Vukmir is looking out for powerful insurance companies — she just isn’t on Wisconsin’s side.
