For months now, we here in Arizona have said
that health care is on the ballot this November—and that is even more true
today than it was six months ago when this pandemic began.
The dual public health and economic crises
from the coronavirus have raised the stakes even higher when it comes to the
importance of having quality, affordable health care coverage, especially in our rural and border
communities.
As someone who has worked in public health for
35 years, I know how important it is for working families across Arizona to
have the peace of mind that comes with quality, affordable health care
coverage.
So when I see Donald Trump and the Republican
Party try to rush through a Supreme Court appointment just to overturn the
Affordable Care Act, especially in the middle of a pandemic, I am as confused
as I am horrified. Why fight to undermine something that has benefitted so many
people?
The Affordable Care Act helped more than 400,000 people in Arizona
gain coverage and led to a 42 percent reduction in the uninsured
rate.
But if Trump and Republicans have their way,
the Supreme Court will decide to rip away health care from 363,000 Arizonans
and strip away protections from 2.8 million people in Arizona with preexisting
conditions. To make matters worse, overturning the ACA would jeopardize
protections for people with pre-existing conditions at a time when
complications from COVID-19, like lung scarring and heart damage, could become
the next deniable pre-existing condition.
By continuing his crusade to dismantle the
ACA, Trump is gutting the protections that so many Arizonans families in our
rural, border, and foothills communities depend on. We have worked so hard over
the last several years to create a safety net infrastructure among our
communities in Arizona with critical access hospitals, rural health clinics,
and our community hospitals.
We can’t let Trump undo the progress we’ve
made. Arizonans deserve so much better. We need leaders who will fight to
protect our care and put working families first. That’s Joe Biden and Kamala
Harris.
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will protect and
build on the Affordable Care Act to give Americans more choice, reduce health
care costs, and make our health care system less complex. This will greatly
benefit families in our border and rural communities who depend on the ACA to
keep themselves and their families safe and healthy.
Biden and Harris also have a plan to help rural, border, and foothills communities like ours across Arizona meet
the pressing health challenges they are faced with. When elected, Joe and
Kamala will adequately fund our rural hospitals, double funding for community
health centers, and help build new clinics and deploy telehealth in rural
communities.
These common-sense solutions will help our
neighbors and families stay healthy, especially as we continue to battle
COVID-19.
We can’t afford four more years of attacks on
our health care. I’ve seen the faces, I’ve seen the devastation, I’ve seen the
work that my doctors do every day to save lives. Dismantling the Affordable Care
Act and ripping away health care coverage is not an option. We cannot let it
happen—and that starts with voting for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris this
November.
Former
Arizona State Senator Amanda Aguirre presently serves in the capacity of
President & CEO of the Regional Center for Border Health, Inc. since 1991
and its subsidiary San Luis Walk-In Clinic, Inc., a primary care rural health
medical center. Ms. Aguirre has been involved for more than 35 years in health
care and business administration.
This article appears in Oct 15-21, 2020.
“So when I see Donald Trump and the Republican Party try to rush through a Supreme Court appointment just to overturn the Affordable Care Act,”
There is no evidence whatsoever that that is the reason or that it will happen. In other words, BS.
“quality, affordable health care coverage.”
Buzzwords, just like, “common-sense gun control” and “comprehensive immigration reform.”
“We will all die in 2007 from Global Warming.”
“A family of four will save $2500 a year under the ACA.”
“The wealthy need to pay their fair share.”
“I never spoke to Hunter about his Ukraine business dealings.
“If you like your doctor…..
Next year I will lose my Doctor under my current employer based, state of AZ coverage…. unless I want my deductible to jump from $200 to $1000 a year.
I am so tired of hearing people repeat the Obama comment about “ if you like your doctor you can keep you doctor”
Under Obamacare that was generally true.
All the GOP has ever done for the last 8 years is bash Obamacare. At least Obama did something!
What has the GOP ever done to improve our healthcare?
Nothing.
They. Do. Not. Care.
“So when I see Donald Trump and the Republican Party try to rush through a Supreme Court appointment just to overturn the Affordable Care Act, especially in the middle of a pandemic, I am as confused as I am horrified.”
As others have posted, it is very murky whether ACB will indeed torpedo the ACA. It is almost certain that her appointment is not “just” to overturn the ACA (as opposed to Roe v Wade, gay marriage, etc.)
As the 2nd link posted says, most of the drop in the % of uninsured in AZ is due to the Medicaid expansion, not the pre-existing conditions coverage. Even pre ACA, most people who had pre-existing conditions could still get insurance.
Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of good in the ACA. I don’t want it to go away. But it is more like treating a bullet wound with a bandaid.
So when I see something that would actually treat the problem (Medicare for All), and I see Joe Biden repeatedly say he would veto it…”I am as confused as I am horrified”. Then I remember that we live in an oligarchy and that both parties work for their donors…and I am no longer confused. Still horrified though.
My employer health plan raised my deductible to $10,000 to help offset their losses from the ACA. Thanks a lot for caring. It’s. Killing. Me.