“Today the Senate stood up for important health care protections for all Americans by defeating S. 1995, the Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act. While there is a clear and urgent need for affordable, accessible health care insurance for all Americans, this bill was the wrong prescription for the problems facing our health care system.

S. 1955 would have swept away critical protections that only exist in state law, causing Americans to lose important health care benefits including screenings for breast, cervical, colorectal and prostate cancer; well-child care and immunizations; maternity care; mental health coverage; diabetes supplies and education and other important benefits. The bill also would have preempted stronger state laws that limit the ability of insurers to charge higher premiums based on health status, age, gender, geography and business size. For all these reasons, over 300 organizations representing the nation’s top health and medical, women’s, labor and advocacy groups joined us in opposing this legislation.

In America today, quality, affordable health care is out of reach for too many families. But by eliminating critical health care coverage Americans need and depend on, S. 1955 would do more harm than good and was rightly rejected by the Senate today. Senators who voted against S. 1955 should be commended for standing up for important health care protections that Americans need and depend on.”