Washington, D.C. — The Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR) applauded the U.S. Senate’s blocking of S. 1955 by Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY) this evening — legislation that would have allowed health insurers to ignore carefully crafted state patients’ rights protections.

The legislation would have allowed the sale of junk health insurance that could have left seemingly insured patients with hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills and no remedies to force insurers to pay them. Read FTCR’s commentary on the legislation in today’s Baltimore Sun at: http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/healthcare/co/?postId=6242.

“The defeat of the Enzi junk insurance bill is a major victory for millions of Americans struggling to afford adequate coverage,” said FTCR health policy director Jerry Flanagan.” Senator Enzi misrepresented his bill throughout the floor debate. This bill ignored affordability and basic coverage in favor of insurance company profits. Fortunately for patients, the truth prevailed. Though this attempt to expand junk insurance has failed, all Americans will remain at risk until comprehensive universal health care is achieved.”

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