June 29, 2020 - LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara released a statement after the Trump Administration filed a brief with the Supreme Court to destroy the Affordable Care Act:

“Just before midnight, on the same day that our nation broke the record for new COVID-19 infections, the Trump Administration filed a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to destroy health security for millions of Americans at a time when we could not need it more. If the Trump Administration is successful in striking down the Affordable Care Act in its entirety, health status and preexisting condition could be used as a basis to deny health insurance coverage. This means that individuals who had COVID-19 could be denied health insurance coverage because they had that disease, even if fully recovered. Persons with asthma, HIV, or cancer could also be denied coverage, or face astronomical premiums. Trump also wants to eliminate the ACA requirement that insurers must cover vaccinations at no cost. Should a vaccination for COVID-19 be developed, it is essential that as many people as possible get vaccinated—being able to access vaccines without cost-sharing makes that possible. Trump also wants to eliminate the expansion of Medi-Cal coverage made possible by the Affordable Care Act, at a time when persons suddenly unemployed because of the pandemic rely on Medi-Cal as a safety net for their family’s health.

I continue to fully support Attorney General Xavier Becerra in vociferously defending the Affordable Care Act because too much is at stake for Californians.”
Source: California Department of Insurance