To start off, this post is nonpartisan as health care is a nonpartisan issue despite government making it partisan. I recognize that the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) is not perfect legislation, there is no such thing, but it is the best option for many right now especially with no replacement plan after the repeal. My passions in ACA are the women's health care rights, along with being able to stay on a parent's insurance until age 18, and being allowed insurance despite pre-existing conditions. There are a lot more reasons Obamacare is important and good, but these will be what I focus on this post.
This summer, the night before the Common App came out I ended up the ER after a stroke (a sign, I know). This was not my first neurovascular event, and it wasn't my last either. I'm seventeen and my eighteenth birthday is in just a couple of months. If the ACA is repealed I will be kicked off of my parent's insurance and I will not be able to get new insurance on my own (let alone affordable insurance) because of my preexisting condition(s). Many people have said, "Don't worry! They are planning on keeping those things in the replacement, you'll still have insurance!" Here's the problem: it can be repealed without a ready/available replacement, so until there is a replacement myself and many, many others will be stuck in limbo. Also, we haven't seen any replacement yet, how can we be sure those things will stay? Deals change all of the time and promises are broken in politics. Until we see this in writing in replacement legislation, we can't feel safe/comfortable.
Access to health care is a human right and this impacts everyone. As I always say, health is not guaranteed, so throw your stones at Obamacare, but if your child (or yourself) was sick, you'd want these key pieces to be in effect.
I know that it seems daunting, but you can help.
I worked with Ellie Wheeler, Founder of the Superhero Project (which you can find under the "Our Community" page) to create a video sharing the importance of getting involved along with ideas on how to. You can see the video here and you can see the document with a script outline for calls/emails and some guidelines here.
There is power in your story, you can choose to help people with it. No matter your age, please use your voice and fight back however you are able to.
Xoxo,
Sick Chick