Letter to Editor: Patricia of Nashville, TN

Patricia of Nashville, TN writes:

My sister-in-law was an artist. Before the ACA, her family paid a couple thousand dollars a month for a healthcare policy they thought was good.

When my sister-in-law got sick there were delays in treatment because everything had to be negotiated or appealed with the health insurance company.

When surgery was recommended, her insurance company did not approve. When a new medication was prescribed, approval had to be negotiated. The insurance would only cover 50%. My sister-in-law did not feel they could afford the $3000 a month and was started on a steroid. Finally, she had surgery six and colon cancer was found on the outside of her small intestine, not visible by colon cancer scope tests. It had spread. My sister-in-law signed up for ACA which just became available. For the last few years of her life, she did not have to negotiate her treatments and paid a few hundred dollars for her family policy. I will always wonder if she had had surgery the first time it was recommended, if that cancer could have been cured.

The ACA contains the rules needed for people to receive timely medical treatment without negotiations. The essential benefits and bill of rights has made American health care reasonable. If TrumpCare does not retain these benefits and rights of the ACA, Trump Care will kill people, just as my sister-in-law was killed by her pre-ACA health insurance. Americans now expect to receive treatment as needed. Do not take that away.

Help Patricia get this message heard by adding your voice.

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