The term preexisting condition has always had a negative connotation because it prevents an ordinary citizen from availing timely and appropriate health insurance coverage or making him or her pay a hefty cost when coverage is acquired. Each insurance company can have its own arbitrary list of pre-existing conditions that can be excluded from the insurance coverage, such as pregnancy, obesity, arthritis, diabetes, and depression (Preexisting Conditions and Health Insurance).

Banning insurers from excluding pre-existing conditions from a person’s coverage has been one of the US Congress’ selected insurance reforms for over a decade now. It was such during a Republican-led Congress and will be the same in the now Democrat-led Congress. This reform is meant to move towards making a universal coverage of basic care.

Section 3, Article I of H. R. 2833, a bill filed in the 110th Congress, entitled ‘Preexisting Condition Exclusion Patient Protection Act of 2007,’ specifically states that “a health insurance issuer that provides individual health insurance coverage may not impose preexisting condition exclusion…” (Text of H.R.2833).

While insurance businesses have to make a profit, health care is a basic human right of all citizens of the country. Basic care should be universal. The duty of the US Congress is to protect patients. The mandate of legislators in a democracy is to ensure the welfare of the greater many, as well as safeguard the interest of their constituents. It is only expected of Congress to protect the population more than the business sector. Therefore, the US Congress should ban the use of pre-existing condition by insurance companies.

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Via Los Angeles Times/The New York Times