GOP Health Care Bill Children Impact

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The vote to repeal and replace Obamacare will likely occur as early as this week and, if the GOP's healthcare bill is successful, it will put millions of Americans at risk. But there's one group of Americans that's particularly vulnerable: children.

Earlier this week, The Hill reported that the GOP's bill could put over 30 million children at risk. To put things in perspective, that means 40% of American children could be negatively impacted by the proposed healthcare plan.

Obamacare prohibits insurers from imposing lifetime limits on essential health benefits. The healthcare bill drafted by Republican senators would remove this protection and put the lives of millions in danger.

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In a series of tweets, the mom of a child with a life-threatening condition perfectly explained how the healthcare bill would penalize the most vulnerable members of our society.

Ali Chandra's two-year-old son Ethan has heterotaxy syndrome, a rare condition which invariably causes heart defects. In an effort to raise awareness about the dangers of Trumpcare, Chandra took to Twitter to share Ethan's most recent hospital bill.

It seems fitting that, with the #TrumpCare debate raging, I got this bill in the mail today from Ethan's most recent open heart surgery. pic.twitter.com/pyUE2UxbWW
— Ali (@aliranger29) June 24, 2017

As the bill shows, Ethan's open heart surgery cost $500 under Obamacare. Under the GOP's proposed healthcare plan, Chandra and her husband would have potentially been forced to pay $231,115 out of pocket.

I'll save you some math; without insurance we would owe $231,115 for 10 hours in the OR, 1 week in the CICU and 1 week on the cardiac floor. pic.twitter.com/CQ9OjOsFX8
— Ali (@aliranger29) June 24, 2017

In the Twitter thread, she explained that Ethan's medical costs “blew past the million dollar mark long ago."

"If lifetime caps are reinstated, we simply won't be able to afford the out of pocket costs without insurance," Chandra said. "We would have to choose between his life and bankruptcy."

We've had two of those already this year. pic.twitter.com/zKhw4StSBx
— Ali (@aliranger29) June 24, 2017

A lifetime cap on benefits is the same as saying, "Sorry, you're not worth keeping alive anymore. You're just too expensive."
— Ali (@aliranger29) June 24, 2017

Tell that to the boy who just tucked a sick firefly into bed with a leaf blanket and told me to keep the light on so he wouldn't be scared. pic.twitter.com/SAwsdHISPi
— Ali (@aliranger29) June 24, 2017

Tell that to the boy who picks me bouquets of sticks instead of flowers because he loves them better so he's sure I will too. pic.twitter.com/Zu987SCGTK
— Ali (@aliranger29) June 24, 2017

Look my son in the eyes and tell him that he's fought so hard to be here but sorry, you're just not worth it anymore. I dare you. pic.twitter.com/IgdQOounyB
— Ali (@aliranger29) June 24, 2017

I don't even know how to end this thread, how to keep typing through my tears. His life is infinitely precious. That's why we fight so hard. pic.twitter.com/7vVPtvW1pE
— Ali (@aliranger29) June 24, 2017

Chandra's story is heart-wrenching, and there are countless families in similar situations. If you're angered by the GOP's healthcare proposal, call your senators to express your opposition.

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