Pre-Existing Condition Question Focus In Indiana Senate Race

Health care is a top issue in the race for the U.S. Senate seat in Indiana, and pre-existing conditions is one of the buzzwords.  

U.S. Senate candidates incumbent Democrat Joe Donnelly and Republican Mike Braun weighed in on the issue of coverage for Hoosiers who receive insurance on the individual market.  In Indiana, that’s about 167,000 people and those protections could be at risk. 

The majority of people in Indiana have health insurance coverage through their employer or a government plan like Medicaid and Medicare. The Affordable Care Act, ACA, opened a market for others including those who work part-time or for a small company. It also made it illegal for insurance companies to deny coverage or increase rates because of a pre-existing condition.

In a phone call this week,  Braun says if he wins, he will support ACA repeal efforts, but preserve some of the most popular parts of the plan in a replacement.

"The key part of it has to be: cover pre-existing conditions, no cap on coverage, and affordable," says Braun. 

In an email this week, Donnelly rebuked a recent federal move to give states the ability to establish short-term plans that do not have to follow ACA rules, including coverage of pre-existing conditions. Donnelly says these plans make it harder for Hoosier families to access quality coverage. Braun did not address these plans on the call. 

Indiana is currently signed onto a federal lawsuit to overturn the ACA