This past Thursday, House Republicans voted in favor of letting millions of Americans die.
The bill, known as the American Health Care Act (AHCA) passed in the House of Representatives 217-213. Essentially, many members of the GOP and the Trump Administration are trying to dismantle the Affordable Care Act simply because they want to tarnish the legacy of former President Barack Obama out of spite. They don't care if you or a loved one will lose your health insurance. They also don't care if you or loved one could die as a result.
Let that sink in for a minute if you haven't yet. Imagine that you lose access to a medication or treatment you need in order to survive because House Republicans passed a bill that many of them admitted they didn't even read.
In fact, health insurance could cost up to $140,000 more under the ACHA, according to time.com/money. If that becomes reality, many Americans will no longer be able to afford health insurance or lifesaving medication and treatments. We are getting punished for being sick and not being born rich.
If this bill passes in the Senate, insurance companies can charge sick people and pregnant women much higher premiums, according to an article titled "Pre-existing conditions: Pregnancy, sleep apnea could make you pay more" from CNN. If you have a pre-existing condition like me and many other Americans, you won't be protected from rising premiums and could lose your health insurance.
Some of the pre-existing conditions the AHCA will not cover include:
- Acne
- Anxiety
- Asthma
- Bipolar disease
- Depression
- Menstrual irregularities
- Sex reassignment
- Sleep apnea
- Transsexualism
...And that's not even the full list. As mentioned earlier, pregnancy, C-sections and postpartum depression would be considered pre-existing conditions. Clearly, the ACHA is dangerous for women. It only gets worse; According to an article titled "How Is Rape A Preexisting Condition? The AHCA Should Infuriate Women" from Bustle, rape and sexual assault would be considered a pre-existing condition. This is a slap in the face to rape and sexual assault survivors everywhere.
In its entirety, the ACHA threatens the health and wellbeing of all American women. It is discriminatory to the LGBTQ community too. The ACHA discriminates against anyone who is not male, rich or white.
The article also mentions that before the Affordable Healthcare Act was enacted in 2010, it was legal for insurance companies to discriminate against individuals with preexisting conditions and that discrimination applied to rape survivors.
The AHCA bill is disgusting, cruel and a death sentence for many sick and low-income Americans. It punishes those who were not born in the one percent. It makes me sick to my stomach. I couldn't fall asleep the night after Congress passed the bill because my chest ached from the fear and anguish that lies ahead.
My pre-existing conditions, which include Major Depressive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and ADHD could cost me my health insurance. If I lost my health insurance, I would no longer be able to afford the medication that helps me function on a day-to-day basis. Without my medication, depression and anxiety take over my life to the point where I am unable to work and develop suicidal thoughts. I am terrified.
I have friends and relatives who could die if the ACHA passes and I'm sure you do too.
I wish the politicians who voted for this bill could be forced to look into the eyes of a parent who will lose the ability to afford lifesaving medication for their child if this bill passes and tell them why they voted "Yea".
I am ashamed of the members of Congress who voted in favor of killing their own citizens. This is the not the America that you or I deserve to live in. This is not the America I know and love. This is the beginning of a dystopian and totalitarian future.
The House Republicans who voted to let this bill pass are figuratively holding a gun, just waiting to pull the trigger. If the Senate votes to let the ACHA pass, many sick, disabled and low-income Americans will be sentenced to death.
If you don't want the AHCA to become a living hell of a reality, take action now. Call or write your senators. If you don't know who represents you, visit whoismyrepresentative.com.
I used Resistbot to contact my Senators to urge them to vote against this deadly bill. This tool is useful since it lets you contact your representatives via text message, which means you have absolutely no excuse to not take action.
Regardless of your political affiliation, I hope you play your part in taking action and helping stop the AHCA. Your life or a loved one's life literally depend on it.