Washington, D.C.—People For the American Way (PFAW) today released a new political advertisement that will begin running on Thursday, November 01, 2018, in Nevada, calling out Dean Heller’s votes to kill protections for pre-existing conditions and to confirm federal judges hostile to the Affordable Care Act.

According to a 2017 analysis by the Center for American Progress, 1.2 million Nevadans—51 percent—have a pre-existing condition.

“When more than half of Nevadans have a pre-existing condition, it’s unbelievable that Dean Heller would work to kill the protections for them,” PFAW Political Director Lizet Ocampo said. “Not only did Heller try to gut the ACA in 2017, but he’s voted to confirm numerous federal judges that are hostile to the protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Nevadans deserve more than Heller’s empty assurances that he cares about their care.”

Heller’s Health Plan: “Throwing a 10-Foot Rope to Somebody in a 20-Foot Hole”

Heller is running away from his record on pre-existing conditions, but his record is clear. Heller was one of the original co-sponsors of the 2017 so-called Graham-Cassidy bill that would have repealed the Affordable Care Act, prompting Jimmy Kimmel’s famous on-air takedown of the legislation: “This bill actually does pass the Jimmy Kimmel test…Your child with a pre-existing condition will get the care he needs if and only if his father is Jimmy Kimmel. Otherwise, you might be screwed.”

While Heller and other panicky Republicans signed on to a “damage control” bill this summer that they claim will protect people with pre-existing conditions, no one should be fooled. The bill’s “protections” were so insufficient that one health-care expert likened them to “throwing a 10-foot rope to somebody in a 20-foot hole.” According to The Nevada Independent:

“In short, a person with diabetes couldn’t be denied insurance or charged more for their coverage under the legislation, but an insurance company could decide not to cover any doctor’s visits, medication or other treatment associated with the diabetes diagnosis.”

Combined with his votes to confirm Trump-nominated judges hostile to protections for people with pre-existing conditions, the above makes clear that Heller does not care about our health.

People For the American Way is a progressive advocacy organization founded to fight right-wing extremism and defend constitutional values including free expression, religious liberty, equal justice under the law, and the right to meaningfully participate in our democracy. Learn more: https://www.pfaw.org.