The Faces of Health Care: Bill S.

"Dear Mr. President, you saved my life and I can never thank you enough."

For 12 years, Bill, a 55-year-old man from New Jersey, wasn't able to afford health insurance as a self-employed person. After the passage of the Affordable Care Act, however, his state decided to expand Medicaid, and Bill became eligible for health insurance under the expansion.

It happened just in time. Last year, Bill experienced swelling and tingling in his legs and feet, and was having difficulty breathing. Under his new coverage, he was able to make an appointment with a doctor to get to the bottom of what was happening.

"When I arrived, he did an initial examination and called an ambulance to take me directly from his office to the hospital," Bill writes. "I had congestive heart failure, extremely high blood pressure, and high blood sugar."

After spending almost a week in the hospital, Bill was released and started taking medication and changing his diet. And he thanks the Affordable Care Act for the opportunity to improve his health.

"If this happened only 10 months ago, I might be dead, or losing the house in which I was born," he writes. "You have changed America, Mr. President. I now have another chance."

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