Dear President Obama,
I wish to express my deepest gratitude to you for your passion and leadership in crafting and passing the Affordable Care Act. Thanks to ACA, I can see clearly again, and I no longer need glasses!
This month, I will turn 65 years old, and for most of my adult life, I was employed as an advertising and marketing professional. In 2008, I lost my job as Senior Copywriter in an advertising agency in Elkhart, Ind., due to the meltdown of the economy and the recreational vehicle industry. I know you personally visited Elkhart County to express your solidarity with us and your support for initiatives to reignite the economy.
Since 2008, I have had no health insurance or fulltime employment. I have been working as a freelance writer and substitute teacher.
Over that time, my health has been mostly good, thank God. However, I developed cataracts which caused my vision to diminish to the point where my eye doctor told me that I would not be able to drive at night. Contact lenses and glasses did not help. The cataracts had to go, but I could not afford the $12,000 for the surgery, eye drops and out-patient hospital visits.
Then on the last day of 2013, I signed up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, and was able to afford it thanks to a subsidy. Lens replacement surgery in both my eyes have been successful, and my vision has returned to what it was like 30 years ago. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I must confess that I get extremely upset when I hear Republicans demand the repeal of “Obamacare” without giving a convincing reason. Don’t let them succeed. The United States is the richest country on earth. How can it be unfeasible for us to offer our most vulnerable citizens health coverage, when just about every other developed country offers it to their citizens!
Thanks again, and keep up the great work. God bless you and your family.
Most sincerely,
Art McFarlane