Dear members of state and federal government (AR Sen. Boozman, Rep. Womack, Sen. King, Rep. Ballinger and U.S. Sen. Paul Ryan),
I am writing this as an open letter to the editor in my local paper since I know there are many in my community with similar concerns, but feel it is hopeless to contact any of you since frequently we get no response to letters and emails.
I am urging you to preserve the Affordable Care Act so that thousands of us in Arkansas can still have health insurance. Many of us have had to struggle with no insurance at all for years or decades before the ACA, and in the past, others like myself have had to pay outrageous premiums with high deductibles if we could get insurance at all.
My own story includes years of no insurance while self-employed as a farmer in Massachusetts. During that time I was denied health insurance even when willing to pay any premium because I had (to quote the insurance company) “a history of migraines and was of child-bearing age.” I was in my late 30s. Many decades later, without benefit of the ACA, I got insurance but paid $618/mo. premium with a $3,500 deductible, so I used retirement savings that year.
And in case you want to do away with wellness benefits, that would also be a disaster for so many of us. Prior to the ACA, I did not get a needed colonoscopy (family history) because even though my insurer had a so-called wellness benefit, if any problems were found they would retroactively bill it as diagnostic and charge me the full amount (thousands of dollars).
Now, having had brain surgery – were it not for the ACA – I would not be able to buy decent insurance because of that kind of “pre-existing condition.” Or it would cost a good deal of my retirement savings (and due to brain damage am not able to work full time at age 63). It has been a Godsend for thousands of us in Arkansas with “pre-existing conditions” to be able to still get insurance.
My situation is far from the worst – before the ACA, it was a nightmare for so many Arkansas folks if they got sick, not to mention a drain on society when medical bills went unpaid by uninsured individuals. What do you plan to put in its place if you get rid of the ACA? Traditionally, federal employees have enjoyed excellent health insurance – now you all benefit from the ACA but are probably wealthy enough to buy insurance even with high premiums. But what about the rest of us?
Thank you for your kind attention to this most important matter. I will publish your replies on my Facebook page and submit to my local paper.
Nan Johnson