Dear Senators, Representatives, Mr. President:
If you approve of this Health Care disaster that Mr. Ryan is trying to ram through, you will be signing my death warrant. It is sad that I will not be allowed to live when my only crime is being elderly, sick and poor.
In October of 2012, I was substitute teaching and caught the flu. I did not have health insurance and could not afford to go to a doctor. The flu turned into Pneumonia and my friend was concerned with the way I sounded and called the police department to do a welfare check. I was rushed to the hospital and nearly died. I had two lung surgeries and was in the hospital for three weeks, the first two semi-comatose. I was considered indigent. The co-pays came to over $200,000. Of course I could not pay any of that.
Fortunately, the Affordable Care Act kicked in and I was not saddled with the bill. I had to retire because of COPD and only had my Social Security to live on which came to $588 per month. The county kicked in $188 in old age pension and 60 dollars in SNAP benefits.
I was beginning to recover in 2013 when I went blind from cataracts. Because of the ACA I was able to have my sight restored.
In 2015, I was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer, heart disease and an aortic aneurysm.
I was given my first chemo treatment in 2016 and had a heart attack. I was told to get my affairs in order because I only had about three months to live. In November I had surgery to remove the cancerous tumors but they could not get it all so back to chemo. I went into remission for a few months and then the cancer came back. I am in my third round of chemo at this time.
Without the ACA, I could not have afforded any of these things. I would have had to live out what time I had blind. I probably would have been over come by cancer and would not be writing this today. The ACA saved my life and my vision. I cannot afford to pay for doctors or procedures with what I live on. I do not have a smart phone or smart TV. I don’t go to movies and other entertainments. I live a simple life.
The Republicans have carried on the big lie ever since the ACA was enacted. They said we would have death panels. We didn’t. The ACA would fail. It didn’t. Instead, millions of people had their lives saved and improved by the ACA. Paul Ryan keeps saying that no one wants the ACA. That is a lie. How can the conservatives look themselves in the mirror when their selfish agenda would let people die? The secrecy surrounding the formation of this plan says to me that you know what you’re doing is wrong. The speed that you are trying to force the passing of this bill says you are trying to distract us from looking deeply into this bill. It is time you listened to the people instead of the lobbyists who line your pockets with greenbacks. The conservatives call this nation a Christian nation and say they are Christians. If that was the case, they would take care of the widows and orphans. They would listen to what the majority of the people want. If this horrendous legislation is enacted, you will not longer have the right to call yourselves Christian. No matter how much you lie, it still doesn’t make it true.
If you want to keep your seats in 2018 or 2020 turn the ACA into Medicare for all. A real patriot would take the side of the people. Every person should have the rights of food, shelter and good health care. It is up to the government to make this happen.