Share Your Story: Thanks to the Health Care Law...
Thanks to the health care law...
Share your story and picture on our story blog and read the stories of other Americans who are benefitting from the health care law.
- a mother who is diagnosed with breast cancer can focus on her treatment and not worry about whether her insurance company will drop her because she got sick;
- a young boy who has type 1 diabetes won't have trouble getting health care coverage because of a pre-existing condition or face a lifetime cap on coverage;
- a young woman can go to her gynecologist and get a pap smear without a referral and without paying a co-pay.
These are only some of the ways the health care law is helping women and their families. Share your story and picture on our story blog and read the stories of other Americans who are benefitting from the health care law. Also, watch our blog to see if your story is highlighted.
Want to share your story on Twitter? Tweet @nwlc.
Please note: The views expressed in the stories below are those of the authors themselves and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the National Women's Law Center. All statements of fact in these stories have been provided by the individual authors, and the National Women's Law Center cannot and does not vouch for their accuracy. The Center will compile the stories and may use them, in whole or in part, in our advocacy efforts. The Center also reserves the rights to delete posts inappropriate and unrelated materials to the health care story blog.
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Your Stories
lee slaughter
decatur, ga, disabled health care worker
Thanks to the health care law...I could afford to retain my health care insurance after a crippling injury at work. I fell at work, breaking both femurs. I worked in critical care in an acute care hospital in Las Vegas,NV. My employer fought me in court and won, thereby dening me worker's comp. I had long term disability insurance and that was my only income. My COBRA payments were exhorbitant until President Obama made them affordable. It is 3 years and 4 surgeries later and I am still disabled but getting better. I lost 60% of my income and have been reduced to a below poverty existence. Thanks to President Obama's Affordable Health Care Act, I have had insurance coverage and can afford my medications and rehab. I hope to back at work this year. Cecilia Lee Slaughter, cardiac monitor tech
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Kathleen Gallagher
Novato, CA, unemplyed
I want to let you know that there are many of us that insurance is still comletely unaffordable. I have not had insurance for 4 years. Not one thing that has changed has helped me at all. For myself and my daughter it would cost over 600.00 a month which is out of the question. The changes to insurance has not helped at all because it it absolutely not affordable unless you make about 60,000 a year, i have been unemployed for three years now. In California it is not affordable for most people making less than 50k a year and even then for 3 people it would be about 900.00 a month with a huge deductable.
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Mark Marino
Spokane, Washington, Self Employed
What happened to all the states that appealed to the Supreme Court because this law is unconstitutional? Mandatory Health Care, still, only benefits the wealthiest people in the country.
http://m.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/dec/14/healthcare-ceos-americas-be...
Meet the new 1%: healthcare CEOs replace bankers as America's best paid No bankers in top 10 of America's best-paid executives, but those in charge of healthcare and drugs firms are in the money.
My state has even made it mandatory for self employed independent contractors through L&I! Just another case of the rich getting richer and poor getting poorer.
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Janalee Roy
Tacoma, WA, Registered Nurse, retired
I am age 60 and unable to work due to caring for a family member with dementia. Were I to lose my insurance, I would now be able to purchase a new policy despite having a long list of pre-existing conditions.Also, my daughter got to go back on my health insurance for one year while in grad school and was able to get the eye surgery she needed.
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Dianne (Dee) Batis
North Hollywood, CA, Unemployed/Retired
I'm agree with a previous writer, Clay G. Colson, from Florida. I'm 64 and am unable to obtain health insurance due to a number of "pre-existing" conditions. I did recieve BCCTP (Breast & Cervical Cancer Treatment Program), a division of Medi-Cal, when I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009. Now that I am cancer free I no longer qualify. I also received a notice a few months back that when I die reimbursement will be made to the government from any money I may have left behind. My children/grandchildren will get nothing as the cost for surgery, chemotherapy, & radiation therapy will certainly be more than any amount left.I would be more than happy to have been able to obtain some kind of health care; I'd love to get it now as they are concerned that I may have bone cancer & want to do bone scans. I have no problem paying for it, of course. I spoke to a specialist in the "health care insurance" field to see what options I may have. He said I will have to wait until I turn 65 in September to receive MediCare. I sure hope it's not too late.
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Maureen Belle
, California, Teacher/author
I am a stage 4 cancer survivor. The new health care law allows me peace of mind. My health insurance company will no longer be allowed to not fund or stop treatment is my cancer ever returns as a pr-existing condition. If this wasn't the law a return of cancer would be a death sentence. I am worried the Republican congress is willing to sign that death certificate with no second thoughts.By the way my rates have gone up 120% over the last 5 years. Going through cancer treatement and post cancer and recovery, as a singe self employed American, took my home, life savings and retirement.Shameful how this country doesn't protect it's citizens by providing health care when every other 1st and 2nd world country sees this as a necessity and basci human right.
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Clay G. Colson
Land O' Lakes, Florida, self employed
Can we please be real? I have pre-existing conditions and the health care law only forces the industry to offer me UNAFFORDABLE coverage! The penalty for failing to provide treatment to and/or dropping their coverage of "...a mother diagnosed with breast cancer" is only $100 a day, $36,500 a year, treatment would be more, therefore the industry makes the reasonable economic choice and pays the penalty because it represents greater profit$ ... which is ALL they care about.Truth be known the Affordable Health Care Act contains NO real, tangible, effective mechanisms to keep the industry from business as usual. It was written after all by industry executives on haitus expressly to write the legislation. Despite all the rhetoric the industry got exactly what they wanted, a mandate to force mllions (30-50) to purchase a defective product with taxpayer $ub$idie$ of more than $700 BILLION over the next 10 years. This only further entrenches their control over our healthcare system while escalating the co$t$ of care assuring that MILLIONS especially the poor, elderly and sick continue to be denied any true healthcare!
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suzanne c voigt
, NY,
Thanks to the health care law my daughter, who is putting herself through college can afford birth control which she needs for menestrual regulation due to her atheltic fitness level. My son, who is in graduate school, can have health coverage by continuing to be on our health care insurance. And my husband and I don't have to worry about our children and health coverage should they become sick.
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suzanne c voigt
, NY,
Thanks to the health care law my daughter, who is putting herself through college can afford birth control which she needs for menestrual regulation due to her atheltic fitness level. My son, who is in graduate school, can have health coverage by continuing to be on our health care insurance. And my husband and I don't have to worry about our children and health coverage should they become sick.
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Christy Linkemyer
Bremerton, WA, Unemployed Real Estate Agent
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