This is a letter I sent yesterday to my Congresswoman regarding planned
action on the Affordable Care Act.  If you share these sentiments, I
encourage you to send a similar letter with your story, to your Congress
member



Representative Cynthia Lummis





Dear Representative Lummis.

As Congress reconvenes this week, one of the first items on the agenda for
the House is likely to be repeal or modification of the Affordable Care Act.
I would like to take this opportunity to encourage you and your Republican
colleagues to take a measured approach to this review.

There are many aspects of the law that have a potentially beneficial impact
on the lives of people with disabilities (and I count myself as a member of
that group).

First, the elimination of limitations placed on policy issuance for those
with pre-existing conditions is of paramount importance.  For those of us
with disabilities it is nearly impossible to find coverage at all if we have
been diagnosed with a condition that might result in higher claim
submission, unless we are able to join a large group.  The condition I was
diagnosed with at birth (hydrocephalus) often results in an increased risk
of hospitalization, surgery and other complications throughout a person’s
lifespan.  I have been fortunate to maintain health care coverage throughout
my life, by using options such as COBRA coverage, but if at any point had I
been unable to do this, I would face potentially financially ruinous or life
threatening consequences as a result of not being able to acquire medical
care.

Second, As a consequence of the hydrocephalus, I also have a physical
disability (cerebral palsy) that makes it necessary to receive physical
therapy on an on-going basis.  Under my current health insurance policy,
physical therapy benefits are capped at $2,000.00 per year.  Since PT visits
cost around $145.00 per session, I am limited to fewer than 14 sessions per
year, without exceeding the annual cap.  The Affordable Care Act would
eliminate these annual caps, making it possible to receive the care I need
without needing to make as large an “out of pocket” expenditure.

Third, the ACA would eliminate lifetime caps on benefits paid for health
care.  Many people with disabilities exceed these lifetime maximums, and are
then faced with the inability to maintain their present coverage, so are
forced to either do without necessary health care, or to receive it through
public programs such as Medicaid.  A mentor of mine, who was instrumental in
starting the first Independent Living Center in Wyoming reached his lifetime
cap and found it necessary to apply for Medicaid to meet his health care
needs.  He died at a relatively young age from complications that might have
been better addressed had he been able to keep his private health insurance.

Fourth, the ACA will provide coverage for a host of preventive care measures
for people of all ages that will serve to improve health status, and bring
down health care costs, while improving quality of life.

http://www.healthcare.gov/law/about/provisions/services/lists.html



Fifth, the opportunity for small businesses to join together to purchase
health insurance for their employees will make it more practical for these
businesses to provide this valuable benefit.  I know of many people with
disabilities who are unemployed or under-employed because they are unable to
find jobs that provide health coverage, and because of their disabilities,
they can not afford to earn more than the cap that is imposed by Social
Security and Medicaid.  People in this category are usually not even counted
in the unemployment statistics.

With these considerations, I encourage you and your colleagues to proceed
cautiously in your inquiries into the Affordable Care Act, and not “throw
the baby out with the bath water.”



Sincerely,



Kendall Corbett




-- 


Kendall

An unreasonable man (but my wife says that's redundant!)

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one
persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress
depends on the unreasonable man.

-George Bernard Shaw 1856-1950

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