But a coalition of 10 advocacy groups — including the American Heart Association, the American Lung Association, the March of Dimes and the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network — urged a “no” vote.
“As Congress considers this legislation, we challenge lawmakers to remember their commitment to their constituents and the American people to protect lifesaving health care for millions of Americans, including those who struggle every day with chronic and other major health conditions,” the groups said.
Since Sunday, Mr. Trump has repeatedly insisted that the Republican health legislation would not allow discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions. Which bill Mr. Trump was referring to is not clear.
Since the first version of the American Health Care Act failed to win enough House support on March 24, revisions to win over the conservative House Freedom Caucus have undermined protections for the sick. The conservatives finally endorsed the legislation last week after House leaders revised it to permit states to opt out of several mandates in the Affordable Care Act.
States could, for example, allow insurers to provide a more limited package of health benefits than the Affordable Care Act requires. With a waiver, states could also allow insurers to charge higher premiums to some people with pre-existing conditions, if states had an alternative mechanism such as a high-risk pool or a reinsurance program to provide or subsidize coverage for people with serious illnesses.
