In dueling ads Rick Scott, Democrats battle to define him on pre-existing conditions

After being hammered on the campaign trail about mixed messages regarding health care coverage for people with pre-existing medical conditions, Gov. Rick Scott is releasing a new Republican U.S. Senate television commercial Tuesday declaring emphatically that he supports such coverage, and that for him it’s very personal.

Meanwhile, Democrats are releasing their own commercial on the same subject, seeking to define Scott’s position on pre-existing conditions, such as cancer, diabetes, and epilepsy, through Florida’s participation in a federal lawsuit seeking to throw out the federal mandate that states require insurance companies to not discriminate against people with such conditions.

In Scott’s new 30-second ad launching Tuesday, “It’s Personal,” he and his campaign seek to put to rest any confusion about his own position. He talks about how his brother Roger Scott suffered from pre-existing medical problems, and what family struggles mean to the Governor today. The discussion comes with simple video of Scott staring into the camera, plus some shots of his family, and a black-and-white picture of Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, the man he’s battling in the Nov. 6 election.

“I want to tell you about a family with a pre-existing health condition. They grew up in public housing, rarely saw a doctor. One of the kids had a hip disease. Their mom would drive 200 miles to a charity hospital to get him treatment. That was my family growing up,” Scott states.

Then he stares into the camera and declares his support.

“I support forcing insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions. For Sen. Nelson, it’s just another political issue. But for me, it’s personal,” Scott says.

Democrats extend no credence for such declarations, which Scott has made repeatedly, in other ways, responding to Democrats’ previous assertions that he doesn’t support mandated, non-discriminatory health insurance coverage for pre-existing medical conditions.

A new commercial from the Senate Majority Political Action Committee, the group leading the national Democrats’ efforts to support Nelson’s re-election campaign and oppose Scott’s campaign, ignores Scott’s personal assurances and makes reference to the lawsuit fight, joined by Attorney General Pam Bondi and supported by Scott’s administration.

Scott has stated that while he supports coverage in Florida for pre-existing conditions, he is opposed to the federal government, through the Affordable Care Act, mandating that all states do so.

SMP’s new commercial, “My Life” declares that for Scott it’s about his commitment to partisan politics, in this case, Republicans’ broad opposition to the ACA’s pre-existing conditions mandate.

In the 30-second commercial launching Tuesday, cancer survivor Donna Morton lays into Scott, images move from her, to her family, to Scott, including a shot of the Governor standing behind President Donald Trump.

“Governor Scott, I survived bilateral breast cancer. But only because I had health insurance. Without it, I’d be dead and my children wouldn’t have a mother,” Morton says. “You supported letting insurance companies gut protections for people with pre-existing conditions. And that’s why I will never support you. You put your political party over doing what’s right. Mr. Scott, this may be just politics to you. But to me, it’s my life.”