Morals over MoneyKeep the Affordable Care Act

Photo Courtesy / Wikimedia Commons The Affordable Care Act has many positives. Photo Courtesy / Wikimedia Commons
The Affordable Care Act has many positives.

By Ashley Levin
Contributing Writer

As many, if not all, of us have seen on the news or social media, President Trump’s latest attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act (known as “Obamacare” to him and many of his followers) has been downvoted.

This allows millions of Americans still screaming their protests about overturning it, yet fearful of what would happen if it was.

I, being medically insured until the age of 26 thanks to the ACA, am one of those people.

Every day on my Facebook page, I see statuses, videos and pictures of Americans – many of them sick, dying or injured – worried about what would happen to them without this healthcare.

A friend of mine, preferring to identify himself as Brett, recently was discharged to the hospital due to his type 1 diabetes – a preexisting condition which would not be covered if the ACA was repealed.

He posted a status saying, “If I have to fall to the mercy of the insurance companies, not only I but other American citizens with preexisting chronic diseases and disease…. will be at risk.”

He later added, “It’s scary to think that after nine years of diabetes that now my life is at risk.”

The main reason people are against the ACA is because of the so-called “cost” of the bill, but the bill could “reduce the [national] debt by $143 million a year” according to The Balance.

And even if it is a little pricey, aren’t the lives of the American people worth more than a few big-shot insurance company billionaires who just want a little extra money?

People become amoral and put themselves before others, which is shown when someone could consciously vote against the ACA while knowing it covers over 22 million Americans who would be stuck otherwise.

Some people I know believe that this bill is literally the difference between life or death for them.

Without it, they wouldn’t be able to afford the chemotherapy, or blood-thinners, or antidepressants, or other medicine they need.

The New York Times recently posted an article entitled “Get Cancer Now, Before Congress Cuts Your Insurance.”

This unfortunately seems to be the case.

If Congress ever agrees with the President and the ACA is removed, uninsured cancer patients would either have to pay out-of-pocket and go bankrupt or unfortunately die.

My point is, a little bit of pocket money is not worth the lives of over 22 million Americans who are desperately in need of insurance.

If the ACA must really be repealed, let it be replaced with an equal or better alternative.

The main reason I see for President Trump attempting to repeal it is because it is linked to former President Obama. – even though he and his supporters gave it the name Obamacare.

That isn’t worth the death of our citizens.

Please, think about what the ACA has done for people like my friends and me – or read testimonials on the Internet – before you think of getting rid of it.

Email Ashley at:
al7819@live.esu.edu