On Wednesday, Oct. 10, the U.S. Senate voted on a resolution introduced by Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) that would have overturned the expansion of short-term limited duration insurance plans. The bill would have preserved protections for individuals with pre-existing conditions and essential benefits guaranteed by the Affordable Care Act, as short-term plans are not required to do either. WomenHeart supported the bill, which would have improved access to adequate health insurance for women with heart disease. Unfortunately, the vote ended in a 50-50 tie, falling short of the majority needed to pass this measure and overturn the administration’s regulation extending the use of short-term plans.
Threats to protections for individuals with pre-existing conditions remain (learn more by reading our fact sheet), so now is the time to take action. With just a few clicks, you can contact your members of Congress and make your voice heard.