GREENWOOD, Ind. -- Early Thursday morning, the U.S. Senate officially set in motion a full repeal of the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, leaving many families worried about what the future holds for their health care. Especially those with what are considered ‘pre-existing’ conditions.
The vote came after Republicans rejected the Democrats’ attempts to keep Obamacare’s most popular provisions – like letting young adults stay on their parents’ plan and preserving coverage for people with pre-existing conditions.
Kim Weeks’ husband was recently diagnosed with stage four cancer, and with the uncertainty of Obamacare’s future, she’s worried that her family could lose everything
Weeks said her husband was diagnosed with the aggressive, rare cancer in October.
“It changes your life. It gives you a different perspective. My heart aches for my kids,” said Weeks.
Her husband is a dentist, so health insurance has always been a significant cost for their family, since he’s self-employed.
Before his diagnosis, and before the Affordable Care Act took effect, they were paying a $10,000 deductible for their family of five.
“It was a Blue Cross policy, but we were spending between $20,000 to $30,000 a year to have coverage, that became unsustainable,” said Weeks.
So when the Health Insurance Marketplace opened up, she was happy to find insurance that was more affordable for their family.
“We found a plan, not a great plan, it had problems – but it had drug coverage. It had a $5,000 deductible, which is more doable for most families,” said Weeks.
But now, with changes on the horizon and the possibility of AFA being repealed as a whole, she’s wondering if they’ll be able to afford health insurance at all – especially with her husband’s now pre-existing, condition that also keeps him from working.
“It will bankrupt my family. I can’t afford to pay for his care or my own. And it terrifies me, for my kids, for myself and for my husband,” said Weeks.
The House is set to approve the repeal on Friday, which will clear the way for Donald Trump to send his plan to Congress as soon as a week after Inauguration.
Congrats to the Senate for taking the first step to #RepealObamacare- now it's onto the House!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2017
A spokesman for Senator Todd Young said they’re committed to making the transition smooth, so as not to leave people out in a ‘lurch.’
House Speaker Brian Bosma said the state is prepared to work through the issues to make sure as many uninsured Hoosiers have affordable health care as possible.
Watch the video above for the story of a Greenwood woman whose husband is battling stage four cancer, and is worried her family could lose everything if Obamacare is repealed.
