CALL YOUR SENATORS
...here's something to think about. The GOP activists trying to kill the ACA have convinced the 36% of America that lives in anger, resentment and gullibility that anyone who works can have healthcare and that all the ACA does is give healthcare to shiftless, lazy Americans. Here's a story about an American whose life has been made immeasurably better by the ACA.
Cindy is a teacher. She teaches little kids and she is an awesome teacher. And I think we can agree that anyone who earns their living by shaping the minds of young people is doing good hard work and has earned the salary that is almost certainly insufficient for what she does. She also has a condition called Fabry. Untreated, someone with Fabry can expect their first stroke by their early 40s. Cindy tells me that prior to treatment she had a chronic kidney infection which was completely reversed by these injections.
Fabry also hurts. A lot.
Fortunately, Fabry is treatable with injections of a drug called Fabrazyme.
Which costs $90,000 a month.
When the ACA was voted into law (after an extensive bipartisan process), it prohibited any health plan from putting dollar or lifetime dollar limits on the benefits you receive. Prior to this, many plans set a lifetime limit.
Did I mention that Fabry was genetic? And that Cindy has a young daughter named Delaney?
Insurance companies would love to reinstate that lifetime limit, meaning if Delaney does have Fabry, she could reach her lifetime limit on healthcare before she reaches adulthood.
It probably goes without saying that Cindy is really scared right now.
These are the real world effects of the ACA. I'm begging you not to sit on your hands. Commit to making at least five calls today (senators and governors!), fire up Twitter (#saveACA) and make noise. If you can make it to a protest, go to one. Get loud. Do it for Cindy and Delaney.
The last thing Cindy said to me when I was asking for her permission to write this was:
She's the best.
