This week Representative Vicky Hartzler (r), first term right wingnut in Missouri's 4th Congressional District, voted again to repeal the Affordable Care Act:
Randy Huggins, a resident of Leeton, Missouri - in the 4th Congressional District, about one of his personal experiences with the health care reform dialog. With the republican House of Representative voting, yet again, to repeal the Affordable Care Act we sought out Randy Huggins yesterday to ask him how the implementation of health care reform has affected him and his family in the interim, and how repeal would impact them:
Show Me Progress: I’m Michael Bersin with Show Me Progress and I’m speaking with Randy Huggins from Leeton, Missouri. Randy, could you tell us about your grandson’s quote preexisting condition and the impact of not having insurance?
Randy Huggins: Uh, yes. Uh, my grandson was born in December of two thousand and four. And, uh, all of the prenatal care was taken care of under my daughter’s health care insurance. And then when they determined that he had a congenital heart defects the insurance company denied coverage saying that his policy didn’t start until he was born and so this was a preexisting condition.
Show Me Progress: And so, what happened, uh, from that point, uh, with his, uh, care for his heart condition?
Randy Huggins: Um, he was, uh, seen at Children’s Mercy Hospital [Kansas City, Missouri] and was treated at Children’s Mercy Hospital, um, and charities paid for it, for the most part.
Show Me Progress: In two thousand nine, uh, you attended a town hall by then candidate Vicky Hartzler and you, uh, related your health care story. What was her response?
Randy Huggins: Uh, her basic response was, uh, that someone in the community should bring our family a hot meal. I think that’s a kind of a slap in the face that, uh, she would suggest that the church bring somebody a family, somebody’s family a hot meal. Uh, it’s usually something that’s saved for a funeral.
Show Me Progress: How has the Affordable Care Act changed things for your grandson?
Randy Huggins: Uh, my grandson had a second open heart surgery in March of this year and because of the Affordable Care Act it was covered under his mother’s health insurance.
Show Me Progress: What does repeal of the Affordable Care Act and Representative Vicky Hartzler’s vote to repeal it mean to you and your family?
Randy Huggins: Uh, it means financial insecurity for all of us. Uh, without having health insurance you know you’re going to have something come up. So, basically we would have to set everything aside and save for any health issues that would, would come up in the future.
Show Me Progress: Uh, but at the same time, uh, would saving cover everything?
Randy Huggins: I seriously doubt that we’d be able to save that much.
Show Me Progress: Uh, and, and how would that affect your, uh, grandson’s future?
Randy Huggins: Well. He would never be able to get any health insurance, um, because of the preexisting condition with his heart even if, when he is eighteen, to buy his own policy, he wouldn’t be able to get a policy. Uh, he would never have any kind of financial security.
Show Me Progress: And so the, uh, the Affordable Care Act, um, means that your grandson has a possibility of a future.
Randy Huggins: He, he has a possibility of, of a piece of the American dream, yeah.
Show Me Progress: Well, thank you very much for your time.
Randy Huggins: You’re welcome.