Florida governor and Senate hopeful Rick Scott became the latest Republican to enlist his family to demonstrate support for pre-existing conditions, amid Democratic attacks that GOP healthcare policies would hurt sick people.
Scott released an ad on Tuesday in which he says he supports forcing insurers to cover pre-existing conditions. Democrats say that the GOP wants to repeal pre-existing condition protections, based on congressional Obamacare repeal efforts that would have allowed states to erode such protections.
The ad recounts that a member of Scott’s family had a rare hip disease, and that his mother had to travel more than 200 miles to a charity hospital to get care.
[Related: Republicans loud in supporting pre-existing condition coverage, but quiet on how they'd do it]
It also hits Scott’s opponent, Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson.
“For Sen. Nelson, it is just another political issue, but for me it is personal,” Scott says in the ad.
Florida is one of 19 states is suing in federal court to overturn Obamacare, and with it, protections for pre-existing conditions.
Other Republicans in similar situations have also roped in family members to help argue that they favor protections for pre-existing conditions.
Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley also released an ad that featured his family and in which he talked about his son’s pre-existing condition. Missouri, where Haley is challenging Democratic incumbent Sen. Claire McCaskill, is one of the 20 states that are part of the lawsuit.
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., who is in a tough re-election race, also released an ad that featured his daughter’s pre-existing condition.
While Republicans have touted their support for coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, some are not saying if they support key policies in Obamacare that ensure such people can get affordable coverage.