Possible Affordable Care Act repeal terrifies some Tucsonans
The coverage she's been able to get through the federal marketplace since 2014 has saved her thousands of dollars, and for the first time in her adult life, given her some peace of mind about her health care.
James, 37, is one of many Southern Arizonans who say they're terrified about what might happen if the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is repealed. The 2010 law has received well-publicized criticism for premium increases, a lack of plan choices and for its "individual mandate" provision that all Americans have health insurance. But it has also had positive effects.
Like a lot of Americans, James does not think the Affordable Care Act is perfect. She'd prefer a
"The ACA was not perfect, but it saved my life and made sure I didn't go bankrupt due to health issues," said James, who is president-elect of the
James has had Type 1 diabetes since she was 13. Last year, she was unexpectedly hit with another big health expense when she was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer. Even with two illnesses to manage, her out-of-pocket expenses were still lower than they were prior to the ACA. Also, due to protections in the law, she stopped worrying about being dropped or denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition.
"I was more depressed after the (presidential) election than I was after my breast cancer surgery," she said. "I will need another surgery in a few months, but I don't know whether I will still have insurance."
And it's not for a lack of trying. James has been regularly calling and emailing her congressional representatives -- Republicans Sen.
"I have asked what his plan is since he doesn't like the Affordable Care Act, and asked how is he going to help me?" James said of McCain.
"Each time I get a canned response from him that just says that he doesn't like the Affordable Care Act and is working to repeal it. None of my questions are ever answered, and that response, which I have gotten several times, is basically a slap in the face and shows that he does not care about me at all."
McCain emailed a written response to the Star's questions about what Tucsonans like James should expect. He did not describe a replacement plan. He said he is committed to ensuring
He pointed out that in
"This law, which was jammed through
McSally responds
McSally's office also emailed a statement, saying Southern Arizonans deserve access to affordable, quality care but that Obamacare was "flawed from the beginning and is collapsing under its own weight." She, too, cited rising premium costs for Arizonans on the federal marketplace.
"Like many I've spoken to in
"As we move forward, my focus will be on providing continuity and certainty for my constituents to ensure they have access to the health care they need during this transition."
The Affordable Care Act was not just about premium costs on the marketplace, though that's what the law's critics often focus on.
Among other things, it prevented insurance companies from denying people coverage because of pre-existing conditions; it implemented safety measures that included penalizing hospitals with high rates of patient injuries and infections; and it allowed young adults to stay on their parents' health insurance until age 26.
Federal health officials say the law has actually slowed the growth of health-care costs.
The nonpartisan
The report also says under that scenario, premium rates would go up by 20 to 25 percent more than the projections of premium rate increases under current law.
McSally spokesman
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'I'd be dead'
He'd been in private practice as a lawyer when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer eight years ago, and continued working until he got too sick.
He's now 63 and his cancer is advanced. Prior to the ACA, Morrow had insurance with a
He's on a silver-level health plan from Ambetter by Health Net that costs
"The upcoming repeal of the Affordable Care Act and its so called replacement is going to determine whether I, brothers, sisters, parents and children live or die as a direct result of this vote, not cancer," Morrow wrote in a recent letter to members of
"I have always paid for health insurance for 40 years. I have paid for employees. I never had any serious illness nor used much in coverage until my diagnosis. Now I need it."
Like others, Morrow says Obamacare has flaws. But he wonders why
"It's unforgivable where we are at," he said. "We should be on a single-payer system. ... Of course they are not perfect, but they work pretty well. Here in the
Morrow says he wants to get older, to live into his 70s. When he was diagnosed eight years ago, the chemo drug he's on now didn't even exist. Medical advances like that give him hope.
"I've said to my doctor, 'I want to be that guy who is the first to overcome this.' We're going to have a cure," he said.
"Then all of a sudden I find out my right to continue on my journey, to have time with my grandchildren, might go away? Why is our own government doing this to us?"
'Just the beginning'
During last Sunday's rain, about 50 Tucsonans stood in front of
"This is just the beginning," said
Stanfield noted the ACA also lowered her
"I consider everyone to be benefiting from the Affordable Care Act," said
Fiore said that for years she couldn't get adequate coverage because she'd had skin cancer. Her coverage also didn't pay for preventive care. Now she's on a Cigna plan for
Set the bar higher
Grijalva said it's important to agitate members of
He also listened about the law's shortfalls, among them the still-high uninsured rate among Arizona Latinos and the limited choices for Arizonans who purchase their insurance on the marketplace.
"We can vigorously defend what we have, but I think we can set the bar a little higher and talk about what it should be," Grijalva said of the law.
While many demonstrations around the country have called for a
"I think we can do better than the Canadian system," health-policy expert and
Derksen said it would help to have the marketplaces put out bids for insurers, who would hold contracts for three to five years -- similar to what the
Multi-year, multi-state approaches could help reduce the risk for insurers while providing more options for consumers, he said.
'People don't understand'
When the Star talked to the Chandler family in 2013, right before the ACA's marketplace for insurance opened up, they had no concept of what the law meant.
"I didn't understand it. No one did,"
In 2013 the family was uninsured and had thousands of dollars in medical bills because of daughter Kyle's unexpected illness -- a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis. Before that, the family had been gambling on not getting sick.
At the time, Danielle was working on contract and her husband was unemployed. They'd applied for
Things have since changed for the better. Danielle, 47, is now a full-time employee with the
Though she's got employer-sponsored insurance, Danielle worries constantly about an ACA repeal. Two of the law's major provisions are key to Kyle's future -- the prohibition against denying coverage to someone with a pre-existing condition and keeping kids on their parents insurance until age 26.
"She's got to have a colonoscopy every five years for the rest of her life," Danielle said. "We are still paying off the medical bills from when we were uninsured."
Danielle said that had she not been able to get insurance through her employer, the family was set to get insurance through the marketplace.
"I am very nervous for Kyle's future," Danielle said.
'I need to know'
Real estate broker James and her mother, former
Prior to the ACA, she was quoted
James and Wachter continue to call and email
"Will my coverage end immediately? I need to know," James said.
Contact health reporter
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