ABC News’ Serena Marshall speaks to a policy advocate with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network and an Affordable Care Act enrollee about Senate health care bill.
Welcome ABC news I’m street and Marshall am unsure on Capitol Hill where he advocacy groups are pushing back against this health care bill. I’m joined here with that one the leading advocacy groups American Cancer Society that you’re the cancer action network explains that’s what exactly thanks to. Where the public policy affiliated premier cancer society and we want to advance the interest of cancer patients we look for tears we advance. Access to health care preventive services etc. Okay so an it would hurt you manage all that policy so are you on capitol alive that heating or is this. Part of this film and the euphoria. And over here quite often and this bill as actually a very big and important piece for us that we are also here for. Research funding and other things like that if it can’t patience. So everything that you do have here is in the benefit of cancer patients that you lepers. That’s current so let’s that talk about this health care bill a lot of back and forth there as the house bill. You all came out against the all of these organizations on this list behind it came out against Elena coming out again this senate’s bill. Why do you see it important free to speak up against. Well it’s a really troublesome bill the problem is 22 million people can be losing their insurance. Those that can’t buy insurance won’t be able to afford it. They’re gonna get less it’s just a real problem it’s good marks a lot of people out of the insurance system. Now Republicans say this 22 million aren’t going to necessarily lose insurance that they’ll decide not to get it as representative of many cancer patients and the United States and what do you say about. Though I think that’s actually not really true I think people lose their insurance because it can’t afford it or they’re knocked off the rolls. When they reduce the number of people that are levity on Medicaid. What would you like to see it and did it made this promise of appeal on our place. They say the Obama care Affordable Care Act is failing Americans what do you see is the solution. Olympic Airways we can fix obamacare there it’s not a perfect bill and what needs to happen is the salmon it’s a go back to the drawing board. Republics that Democrats need to get together and do what’s right for the American people and provide health care of that serves everybody. For cancer patients or somebody who previously had cancer in remission or. Had a feeling that suffered from cancer what would you want them to know about health care. Well I’d want them to know that they have a preexisting condition that they’d better dessert. House that the pre existing condition right there are fifteen million cancer survivors who now have a preexisting condition that they have when they better keep their insurance at this bill. Passes because otherwise they mean outfield again and again. And would you happen. Then reach out her go through your organization that they wanted to make their voices heard how did they get involved. Absolutely they need to call their senators they need to call their house view their representatives even though that’s now pending senate. They need to let their effect elected officials know how bad this deliberately he has. What is I guess. Your big message though to those senators and those house numbers and the president trump who really want to do. But bases in the best interest of the people and get mr. downer place. Cancer patients need access to a health care that’s affordable and covers their treatment this bill doesn’t do that we need to vote this down and go back to the drawing board and. You for speaking with us and we also have a patient care. Matt Williams you. That’s late now and his give us a little background about your situation your small business owner. You’re into Affordable Care Act exchanges correct. I’m a small business owner from Denver Colorado currently insured through the exchange in Colorado. Do so on and it’s preserve my life that’s reality so I had blood clots in my long. My lungs and in my legs. That happened over and over and over and so I failed generic drugs. Cheap drugs that you might be able to pay for out of pocket the only thing that actually works for me that stops those clots from reforming my body. Is a non generic relatively expensive drugs and my hospitalization. And it’s been about a month see you all they try to figure rose going on at hospitalization costs and dollars. Before the Affordable Care Act what did you do things. So private insurance. Prior to the Affordable Care Act. And now you know the affordable erectus were covered Reynolds very little bit about my business I were comedian production similar to that the folks at the hero. A my business partners and in France so insurers on a single Payer. And a single Payer country he’s covered he’s covered for everything within his arm the one that needs I don’t qualify for a subsidy. But what would happen Loretta go back into the hospital and that’s something that’s statistically. Possible if not probable that happen in my lifetime and I go back into the hospital. The price of a half million dollars or. Even almost small business owner that is the cost of sufficient enough to strip me of my house my assets my savings. And potential in my life if we don’t get coverage. Obama’s bill. How did that your health insurance coverage change for when you are under private insurance diversity of part of what part did you see increase in premiums did you see this means go down. How would that health care coverage different. This changes over time and it changes depending on view insurer was and I think that one of the things that’s really cynical about the way that some of the stuff as an implement it is that a state to state. Dozens of federalism argument that each state implements this differently. I’m not really qualified to speak about how it’s implemented everywhere but for many in this is what this is what keeps my life hell it’s what keeps me in the workforce. And if this bill implemented. Under the current form the senate has just introduced last week. How would you see your policy change your health coverage. Fear for me personally as a person with a preexisting condition. It is of this bill. Puts caps on coverage and caps on coverage means that it will cover you up to a certain price point. An annual amount a lifetime basis. In the unlikely event that I go back to the hospital. And I reached those caps. I’m in this unique position where I’m technically insured. Put your not receive coverage so that’s I mean you couldn’t write a better catch 22 are technically and certainly don’t covered.
