Elected Officials The Healthcare of Those You Care About The Least Does Matter:
At the age of three my son suffered a series of seizures, so his pediatrician ordered a series of tests to figure out the cause; the tests were inconclusive. However, my son’s pediatrician consulted with me to decide whether to prescribe medication as a precautionary measure, I declined. Fortunately, he suffered no more seizures until the age of 26 when he experienced a seizure while sleeping. An excruciating cry followed by jerking movements on one side of the body and labored breathing, which subsided into a brief sleep before he woke up in an ambulance. He was in pain, in a state of confusion, and had no memory of what had occurred. The emergency room doctor ordered blood tests and an EEG, which were all normal. Nevertheless, as a precaution, he prescribed Keppra and my son was seizure free for a year.
Unfortunately, despite my son being on medication the seizures eventually returned and occurred often. His primary care provider referred him to Neurologist Pari Young who increased his dosage of Keppra and ordered an EEG, which revealed nothing; my son continued to have seizures. Dr. Young prescribed a second medication, Vimpat and ordered an MRI, which was inconclusive. The seizures continued so Dr. Young (a doctor who was enthusiastic that OBAMACARE could help my son receive advanced treatment) referred him to Cedars Sinai Medical Center in late 2015.
After an evaluation by Cedars Neurologist Jeffery Chung, my son was admitted to Cedars for three days, in early 2016. Extensive testing revealed he had epilepsy. OBAMACARE gave him access to receive a definitive diagnosis and the proper treatment, which included increasing the dosage of one of his medications and he has been seizure free for over a year.
The Affordable Health Care Act aka OBAMACARE covered the cost of my son’s stay at Cedars and continues to cover the cost of his medications, the most expensive is Vimpat which does not have a generic equivalent and ranges from $788 to $944.
Unfortunately, if Republicans are successful in ending OBAMACARE my son and many others will have to suffer the consequences of debilitating illnesses, because they will be unable to afford medical treatments and medications that manage their conditions.
Republicans you hold the lives of so many in your hands. Search your hearts and ask yourself these questions. Firstly, is repealing and replacing OBAMACARE with a plan that will negatively affect millions of people; an action based on privilege, party affiliation loyalty, bias or all three?
Secondly, if President Reagan, Bush, or Bush had implemented the exact same healthcare plan as OBAMACARE, would a repeal be a topic of discussion within the Republican Party?
Thirdly, how many of you have compassion and are willing to walk in another person’s shoes? Consider spending a day in the life of someone who is dependent on OBAMACARE or spend time reading the many stories of people who OBAMACARE has helped, but do so not as a politician, but from the perspective of a parent, spouse, adult child, or human being.
The Affordable Health Care Act aka OBAMACARE is not perfect, but repealing it and replacing it with a plan that will be detrimental to so many is not the answer. It is time to stop thinking like politicians with Godlike complexes. No human being, which includes elected officials have the right to deny healthcare to individuals in need. Both sides need to come together and work on the sections of OBAMACARE that need improving, but not at the expense of the poor. We all have rights, which means as individuals we have the right to choose what works for us.
Therefore, it is the responsibility of elected officials to listen to what the people want. Those who need OBAMACARE should be able to have or keep it and those who need alternative choices (e.g. lower premiums) should be the focus for Republican lawmakers. Healthcare is about us (the everyday people) and not about the power trips, feuds, and personal issues that compel lawmakers to take action based on their interests and/or prejudices.
Finally, take a few minutes to listen to the 1980’s song by Exposé “Tell Me Why” and tell me why Republicans seem to not give a damn about the health and well-being of the poor. We need OBAMACARE.
Sincerely,
Patrissha Booker
