Jayne Morris Crowther: Only Democratic candidates can be expected to protect the ACA

To The Daily Sun,

It appears that Judge Amy Coney Barrett will be confirmed in a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court of the United States. Regardless of disagreements about her judicial philosophy, she is no doubt an accomplished legal scholar and has led an admirable life. Shortly after her confirmation, the Supreme Court will hear a case that determines the fate of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on November 10th. Republican Attorneys General from multiple states have sued to have the law overturned. On this issue, Judge Coney Barrett has made her opinion quite clear and she believes the law must not stand. Her writings on the subject criticized Chief Justice John G. Roberts’ rationale for allowing the legislation to remain in 2012. Therefore, the decision to declare the whole legislation null and void will likely be made in a few weeks.

Over the course of the  10 years Republican groups have promised to repeal and replace the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act many times. While they have attempted to repeal the law approximately 70, there have been no politically feasible alternatives for them. The current president has promised a plan but has yet to deliver one. Therefore, we must prepare ourselves for the loss of not only the insurance exchanges but the protections afforded in this legislation. Some forget about the Patient Protection element of this law but it is one that protects all of us from insurance denial for pre-existing conditions as well as caps on insurance payments. This would not only include diabetes and asthma, but also previous diagnoses of cancer and most currently, those surviving COVID today.

As people who will soon be left on our own to forge an unsuccessful battle against an army of insurance lawyers or risk personal bankruptcy, we need to act. No Republicans voted in favor of the original Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in 2010. There is little realistic hope they will do so in the future. The Democratic Party has been the only one who upheld the rights of patients with pre-existing protections. Many who fortunately survived life-threatening diseases like cancer will be forever condemned by the insurance companies as having pre-existing conditions and therefore unable to acquire insurance or forced to pay exorbitant rates.. Remember your vulnerable family and friends and vote for Democratic candidates this November. Joe Biden with Kamala Harris, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, and Congressman Chris Pappas will legislate to reinstate patient protections. If we fail to elect them, we are all vulnerable. Vote Democratic November 3rd like your availability to health care and even your life depends on it.

Jayne Morris Crowther

Laconia