The White House Blog

"His mother and I would have had to make the very cold calculation: Do we spend our own retirement savings on his medical care trying to extend his life, or do we cast him adrift to save what we can for our own later years?

Because, what company would have ever insured him without the ACA? Not one."

In March of 2013, Don and his family were dealt a devastating blow. His son Daniel, a hardworking 35-year-old, was diagnosed with brain cancer and had to have a tumor removed. Thankfully, he was covered by employer-sponsored health so his insurance covered most of the costs for his hospitalization, the surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and diagnostic MRI imaging. His medical care costs far exceeded $200,000, so Don and his family were grateful for the coverage.

But this May, Daniel lost his job -- the consequences of the cancer and operation make employment impossible for him. Don's family would have been forced to continue a very expensive coverage option available to unemployed workers for a limited time had it not been for the Affordable Care Act.

The Affordable Care Act prohibits insurance companies from discriminating against people with pre-existing conditions and provides affordable and quality coverage on the Health Insurance Marketplaces. And thanks to the ACA, Don was able to help his son sign up for a subsidized plan on the Marketplace that will pay 94% of his medical expenses, for a monthly premium of $45.  

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