“We go about creating high-risk pools, called universal access programs, at the state level. And what that means is people with pre-existing conditions will not see interruption of their coverage, period. So that's flat-out wrong by the Speaker."

– House Republican Whip Eric Cantor

House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA)
MSNBC's "Andrea Mitchell Reports"
November 5, 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ED4QM-5LAhM

Rep. Eric Cantor: Andrea, great to be on with you. Let me first try and address the issue of pre-existing conditions first. The speaker is flat out wrong. Our bill does address the situation. We don't want to see people with pre-existing conditions denied coverage. We go about it in a different way. In fact we go about it the same way the Democrats goes about it in the first couple years of their bill. We go about creating high-risk pools called universal access programs at the state level. And what that means is people with pre-existing conditions will not see interruption of their coverage, period. So, that's flat-out wrong by the Speaker.

Andrea Mitchell: If I'm correct, your bill would not specifically say that insurance companies could not discriminate? It puts people in pools, yes, but that's putting them into the marketplace.

Rep. Cantor: Andrea, that's not true. Our bill specifically creates universal access programs mandates them at the state level, requiring insurance companies to participate in them and by doing so these insurance companies will go and purchase reinsurance to ensure that the pre-existing situation condition does not avoid coverage. I want to be very clear about that because that's been a misstatement several days this week and the Speaker is flat out wrong about that.

Click HERE to view the entire interview