By now, you've probably seen that there's been huge concern over what will happen with the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. On Thursday morning, we learned that the Senate voted on a resolution that is viewed as being the GOP's first big step towards dismantling Obamacare, a decision that has been met with much outrage.
On Twitter, #SaveACA began trending as those concerned with the repeal shared stories of how Obamacare affected their lives. Erin Chack, a senior writer at BuzzFeed, also chimed in with a personal story that illustrated just how dangerous it would be to end the Affordable Care Act.
Chack tweeted that she was diagnosed with cancer at 19 years old, but was taken off of her father's insurance coverage because she had to leave college for treatment, which qualified her as independent.
"We had to pay for freelance insurance with my new preexisting condition of cancer, and it was not cheap," she wrote. Thankfully, she said, her hometown held a fundraiser to help her family pay for treatment.
Chack explained that she was forever grateful to those who financially supported her and her family, but she was also grateful that the ACA ensured that other families wouldn't have to go through this.
"My family is financially comfortable and we still needed so much help," she wrote. "Can you even imagine what it’s like for lower income families?"
Chack's story brings up an important point about the core of the ACA: In short, it has helped countless of low-income Americans get the health care that they need. In fact, 6.1 million young adults between the ages of 19 and 25 who were previously uninsured were able to get health insurance thanks to Obamacare. Unless the incoming administration can come up with a stellar replacement, it looks like millions of us will have a difficult time finding affordable health care over the next few years.
Read Chack's entire story, below.
Before the ACA I got cancer and was kicked off my dad's insurance bc I had to leave college for treatment, which qualified me as independent
— erin chack (@ErinChack) January 13, 2017
We had to pay for freelance insurance with my new preexisting condition of cancer, and it was not cheap. We couldn’t afford it.
— erin chack (@ErinChack) January 13, 2017
Luckily my hometown held fundraisers and financially supported us through the entire thing. I am forever grateful.
— erin chack (@ErinChack) January 13, 2017
But I am more grateful that the ACA made it so that would never happen to another family. We were lucky to have support, others aren’t.
— erin chack (@ErinChack) January 13, 2017
I was 19 years old. I would have been hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt without their help. Do you hear what I’m saying.
— erin chack (@ErinChack) January 13, 2017
My family is financially comfortable and we still needed so much help. Can you even imagine what it’s like for lower income families?
— erin chack (@ErinChack) January 13, 2017
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