While scrolling through Twitter one day, I came across the hastag #GrahamCassidy. When I saw the hashtag, I was intrigued. What could it possibly be about? As I looked into the hashtag more, I found out it was talking about the latest health care bill that was being brought before Congress. I didn’t like what I saw, and there were many other people who didn’t either.

In an article by NPR, I saw some of the concerns over the bill. What was going to happen with Medicaid was just one of them. This bill would transform the structure of Medicaid, giving states control and cutting funding for Medicaid over time. It also addressed essential health benefits, including: maternity care, mental health, hospitalization, prescription drugs, emergency care, children’s health and the fear of not having enough time to set rates for 2018.

But the biggest issue and concern I had, and saw on Twitter and in the article, was how the bill would deal with pre-existing conditions. With the Cassidy-Graham bill, and other bills that have been proposed, it would waive the requirement of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) wherein insurers have to cover pre-existing conditions without charging more for doing so.

I have a pre-existing condition. I have had it since birth, and I know other people who have a pre-existing condition as well. The fact that this bill, and other bills that have been proposed by the Trump administration, want to take away the requirement that insurers cover pre-existing conditions is heartbreaking.

Luckily, the Cassidy-Graham bill did not go through the Senate, therefore killing it. When I saw this, I was extremely pleased. I’m proud of the people who stood up and advocated against the bill. The people who spoke up on Twitter, or any form of social media are getting it right. We should stand up for what we believe in and what is right. Be proud that you did.

Everyone should be able to get the health care that they need. I shouldn’t have to be worried about my health care coverage because of a condition I have had since I was born, nor should anyone else who has one. It is something we have no control over. This bill doesn’t just affect the condition I have, but it affects people who have diabetes, cancer, chronic diseases and mental illnesses. For those who have these conditions, health care could become unaffordable.

Health care involves everyone; even children would be affected by a bill like this. Children are our future and should be getting the best care possible along with people who have pre-existing conditions.
I don’t have a solution on how to solve these issues to include everyone, but we should be coming together and finding a way to make this happen.

We shouldn’t pass health care bills that don’t cover everyone who needs it. People shouldn’t be held liable for something that they can’t control. No one can control if they have a chronic disease, diabetes or cancer. I have seen what people with diabetes and cancer go through—my own grandfather died of cancer when I was younger.

We shouldn’t be making health care more complicated and unaffordable. If anything, we should be helping these people get the care that they need.