Sgt. Greg Moore’s widow urges Idaho lawmakers to keep Affordable Care Act

March 16--The widow of Coeur d'Alene police Sgt. Greg Moore is urging Idaho lawmakers not to repeal the Affordable Care Act without a "comparable replacement," saying the law enabled her to spend more time with her toddler daughter in the aftermath of Moore's 2015 murder.

As congressional Republicans mount a contentious effort to repeal and replace Barack Obama's signature health care law, Lindy Moore wrote an open letter to Idaho Rep. Raul Labrador and Sens. Mike Crapo and Jim Risch.

"I wrote it just to be a voice for other women, specifically widows, across the country who may be losing their health insurance," Moore said in an interview.

The letter, posted Tuesday on therealcda.com, reads in part:

Once I had come through the first few months as a widow and single mom (with tremendous, loving support), I set new intentions for my life. I elected to work only two days a week so I could be home with our one-year-old daughter, Gemma.

Moore explained that she had several insurance options after her husband, a 14-year veteran of the Coeur d'Alene Police Department, was shot and killed while patrolling a quiet residential street in May 2015.

Because Greg's murder was a "qualifying event," we could have continued with his coverage ... but I would've had to pay for it myself. It was an exorbitant monthly premium.

Moore, an art teacher at Ramsey Magnet School of Science in Coeur d'Alene, also could have kept her own insurance after choosing to work part-time.

... but again, I would have had to pay out of pocket, so the cost was ludicrous.

Moore enrolled in ACA coverage as the community scrambled to support her family and she agonized over which words would be engraved on her husband's headstone.

Staying home with our daughter was my choice. I'm incredibly grateful for the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) which made that choice easier for me. ... I could be a mom, work part-time and keep very affordable health insurance while I rebuilt my life.

The school district gave her time off work and donations poured in.

The monetary donations I received allowed me to pay my bills and keep my home while I waited for Greg's death benefits to be processed. I was surrounded by people who helped me every day for over a year afterward. I could not have been more loved and supported.

But most widows aren't so fortunate, Moore wrote.

I only share my story in detail to illustrate just how exceptional it is. Most widows will not experience this level of community and family support and instead will face economic uncertainty and fear. For the majority of widows in our country who have lost health insurance, ACA is a necessity.

Although the U.S. uninsured rate has fallen to an all-time low of 10 percent under the Affordable Care Act, Republicans are eager to repeal the law, citing rising premiums and a lack of competition in ACA exchanges.

But they haven't agreed on a plan to replace it.

President Donald Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan are supporting a bill that includes a tax cut for the wealthiest Americans and, according to the Congressional Budget Office, would increase the number of people without health insurance by 24 million in a decade.

The bill, which has yet to pass the full House and appears dead on arrival in the Senate, has drawn intense criticism from Democrats, who say it would hurt the poor, and hard-right conservatives, including Idaho's Labrador, who deride it as "Obamacare-lite." Some moderate Republicans also have expressed concerns about the current bill, citing the budget office report.

I implore you. Please fight to keep the Affordable Care Act and reform it or have a comparable replacement before it is repealed.

Fight for the widow with four kids under the age of six. For the widow who found out she's pregnant and the widow with a special needs child. Please fight for her. Please fight for the widow who is buried in medical bills from her own chronic illness and for the widow who suffers from unbearable depression and anxiety. Please fight for her. Please fight for the widow who had just moved and doesn't know a soul in her community and for the widow who can no longer afford her home. Please fight for her. Please fight for the widow awaiting the trial of her husband's murderer and for the widow who spent the last few months with her husband in hospice. Please fight for her and give her one less worry.

Please fight for the widows who are not as fortunate as me. Fight for these women and their right to affordable health care for themselves and their children.

Humbly, Lindy Moore

Widow of Sergeant Greg Moore #K27

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