Did Mitt Romney misrepresent his health-care proposals on 'Meet the Press'?

On 'Meet the Press,' Mitt Romney said one part of Obamacare he'd like to preserve is coverage for those with preexisting conditions. But 'continuous coverage' is key, his campaign stated later.

By Peter Grier,?Staff writer / September 10, 2012

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney campaigns at PR Machine Works in Mansfield, Ohio, Monday, Sept. 10. Romney made an appearance on NBC's 'Meet the Press' on Sunday.

Charles Dharapak/AP

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Did Mitt Romney stretch the truth about his health-care proposals during an appearance on NBC?s ?Meet the Press? Sunday? That?s what some Democrats are charging Monday.

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Washington Editor

Peter Grier is The Christian Science Monitor's Washington editor. In this capacity, he helps direct coverage for the paper on most news events in the nation's capital.

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At issue is something the GOP nominee said during a discussion with host David Gregory about President Obama?s health-care reform law. Despite pushing similar state-based reforms when he was governor of Massachusetts, Romney opposes Obama?s health law, and has vowed to work to repeal it.

Romney told Gregory that he didn?t oppose the law in its entirety. He said there are parts of it that he?d like to duplicate in his own health plan.

?Of course, there are a number of things that I like in health-care reform that I?m going to put in place,? said Romney. ?One is to make sure that those with preexisting conditions can get coverage. Two is to assure that the marketplace allows for individuals to have policies that cover their family up to whatever age they might like.?

As to the preexisting conditions issue, under Obama?s Affordable Care Act, insurance companies can?t turn away prospective customers who already have health challenges. In return, they get lots of new customers from the law?s mandate that everyone has to have health coverage.

On NBC, Romney implied that he?d keep the first part of that equation while getting rid of the second, since he?s opposed to the individual mandate.

The problem is that isn?t the full story in regards to Romney?s position on preexisting conditions coverage. In fact, Romney is proposing something much different than the blanket preexisting conditions protections of Obama?s ACA.

Later in the day the Romney campaign issued a clarification to National Review.

?Governor Romney will ensure that discrimination against individuals with preexisting conditions who maintain continuous coverage is prohibited,? a campaign aide told National Review?s Katrina Trinko.

By ?continuous coverage,? the Romney team means just that ? people who already have health insurance can?t be booted off due to preexisting conditions.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/2PM9yhraLAo/Did-Mitt-Romney-misrepresent-his-health-care-proposals-on-Meet-the-Press

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