Terrified at possible loss of coverage

I have recently begun working as a freelance consultant in order to spend more time taking care of my parents.

One of the factors that enabled me to leave my full-time, salaried job last fall was knowing that I had the resource of the Affordable Care Act through which I could select the right plan for my health needs, and one that could fit my new, reduced budget.

My congressman, Peter Roskam, recently voted for the repeal of the ACA, noting that somehow people like me would not lose coverage, nor pay more for necessary health services. But anywhere between 34,000 and 60,000 residents of the Sixth District alone could possibly lose coverage, depending on how much of the ACA is actually retained.

I know I'm not the only one terrified at the potential loss in coverage for myself, or my parents. Many of my friends are both parents of school-age children and caretakers for their own parents. They juggle jobs and child care/school responsibilities with care giving duties for parents and sometimes even grandparents. They rely on the expanded supports of the ACA to ensure the health and wellness of their entire families.

These are real families, facing real challenges. Our district not only has between 6 and 7 percent of the population living in poverty, with tens of thousands of residents still without health coverage, but also workers living paycheck to paycheck and hustling to make ends meet.

We cannot sit by while our very lives are put on the line for political expediency. We all deserve better, and urge Congressman Roskam to keep the health and well-being of our neighbors, his constituents, in mind as the future of the ACA is decided.

Hilda Vega

Lake in the Hills