Healthcare Increases and the Effect on Rockland
Many in our district are at risk of losing their health coverage because Congress failed to act in time. Thousands of people in Rockland County will lose their health insurance this year unless Congressional Republicans vote to preserve vitally needed federal support for working and middle class families. But it doesn’t have to be this way. In 2009, I was working for former Congressman Eliot Engel while Congress and the country were in the midst of a major national debate about healthcare and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that President Obama was championing to reduce costs and improve access to health insurance. I still remember the many conversations I had with local residents who were desperate to see the ACA pass so that they could finally afford to get health insurance. These were hard working people who were trying to do everything right but whether because they had a pre-existing condition, or worked at a job that didn’t provide insurance, or simply didn’t earn quite enough to afford the exorbitant cost of premiums, they were left uninsured, one medical emergency or unexpected illness away from financial ruin.
Rockland County, NY · 01-20
