INDIANAPOLIS – Todd Rokita is misleading voters once again, this time about protections for those with pre-existing conditions. In a recent interview with WIBC, the former Congressman and hardline Republican Attorney General nominee said:

“We can provide affordable healthcare coverage and protect people with pre-existing conditions. There are state-based plans; they’re community plans. The Indiana General Assembly already voted to cover pre-existing conditions in their budget last year. Now, there’s more work to do, but that doesn’t mean that you need the federal wreck of Obamacare; there are other ways to do it.” (Source: WIBC.com) 

Here are the facts:

Rokita is referring the Indiana statute: IC 1-1-2-3 Health insurance; preexisting condition

Sec. 3. It is the policy of the state that no person may be denied coverage for a preexisting condition under a plan of health coverage offered or administered by the state, including the following:

(1) A state employee health plan offered under IC 5-10-8.

(2) Medicaid under IC 12-15, including the healthy Indiana plan under IC 12-15-44.2.

(3) The children’s health insurance program under IC 12-17.6.

As added by P.L.108-2019, SEC.36.

What Rokita neglects to tell Hoosiers is the law he is referring to only protects those on state health care plans, including state employees, state legislators and those on Medicaid, HIP 2.0 and CHIP. Hoosiers accessing private or employee-sponsored health care coverage are not protected.

FACT: Rokita voted over and over to eliminate protections for pre-existing conditions. While running for Indiana Attorney General, Rokita now claims he supports protections for pre-existing conditions. However, in Congress, he voted to repeal or amend the Affordable Care Act 54 times.

FACT: Rokita wants to gut the Affordable Care Act and jeopordize care for hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers. Rokita is supporting incumbent Attorney General Curtis Hill’s lawsuit that seeks to destroy the Affordable Care Act.  If successful, the lawsuit would eliminate the option for approximately 1 million unemployed Hoosiers to access health care through the ACA exchanges. It would also strip away coverage for the estimated 168,000 Hoosier families who currently rely on the exchanges for permanent coverage and would jeopardize funding for the state’s HIP 2.0 program, which covers more than 500,000 Hoosiers. Additionally, the lawsuit would gut protections that prevent insurance companies from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions or charging more for it. This would affect more than 2.7 million Hoosiers, not including those who have been exposed to COVID-19. 

FACT: Rokita supports charging seniors more and raising the Medicare eligbility age. Rokita has also supported legislation to allow Americans over the age of 55 to be charged up to five times more for insurance coverage and has voiced support for raising the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 78.

Indiana Democratic Party Chairman John Zody had one word to describe Rokita: a liar.

“Hoosiers’ access to health care is on the line this election and Todd Rokita can’t be trusted,” said Zody. “He has a long record of trying to dismantle affordable and accessible health care for working families with no idea on how to replace it. The ideas he does point to don’t work for the vast majority of Hoosier families. He can try to mislead voters all he wants, but he can’t escape his record and rhetoric. The fact of the matter is this: If Todd Rokita is elected, millions of Hoosier families’ health care will be in jeopardy.”

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