Speaking Out For Those At Risk Of Losing Health Insurance

As a native of Millersville and a proud graduate of Penn Manor High School, I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to the community in which I grew up and the public school teachers who prepared me for a lifetime of learning. After graduating from Penn State University, I am now fortunate to be a third-year medical student at Brown University.

At this point, I am spending most of my time in doctors' offices and hospitals. Participating in direct patient care has been challenging but also life-changing; it has given me the opportunity to learn not only how to provide patients with the best medical care but also how to serve as a companion on their journeys through some of life's most challenging obstacles.

These awe-inspiring opportunities have given me so much in terms of advancing my education and competency as a future physician, but they also come with a responsibility: the duty to speak out when the health and very lives of the patients I am privileged to help care for are threatened. It is to fulfill a small portion of that duty that I am writing this piece.

Looking back on my medical school career thus far, I can think of many times in which I helped to take care of patients who needed extensive care that we were not sure they would be able to get, based on their insurance status. It was such a relief when, time after time, a further investigation of the patient's situation revealed that he or she had recently received health insurance through the Affordable Care Act's individual marketplace. This meant that potential cancers could be detected sooner, lifesaving treatments for these cancers or other serious conditions could be provided, and that all of this complex care could be coordinated by the appropriate specialist.

Currently, many members of Congress, including Sen. Pat Toomey, are in the process of attempting to repeal "Obamacare." I am strongly opposed to this decision, especially without an immediate replacement.

My opposition stems from the fact that about 30 million Americans are at risk of losing their health insurance if this process continues on its present course, according to a recent estimate by the Urban Institute.

Make no mistake - this is a matter of life or death, not just for patients but for the very future of a functioning health care system. Repeal without replacement would wreak havoc on the individual insurance marketplace. Of the 30 million Americans who would likely lose health insurance, 956,000 are Pennsylvanians. Premiums would soar - the Congressional Budget Office estimates that if the ACA is repealed, premiums in the individual market would increase by 20-25 percent in the first year, and nearly double within 10 years.

"Obamacare" is not without its flaws, but it is undeniable that any actions leading to 956,000 Pennsylvanians losing their health insurance would be a moral tragedy.

In Millersville, on my trail to becoming an Eagle Scout, I was taught that as a U.S. citizen, I have a duty to my country and to my fellow citizens. That duty is required of all of us in exchange for the countless freedoms we enjoy by being members of a democracy.

With that sense of duty in mind, I urge all of you reading this who agree that it would not be acceptable for 956,000 Pennsylvanians to lose their health insurance coverage to make your voices heard. Whether you are a Republican, Democrat or neither, call Sen. Toomey and tell him you won't stand for our friends and neighbors in Pennsylvania losing access to health insurance, and that you will hold him accountable with your voice and your vote.

Here are some additional talking points for calls:

- 82 percent of those 30 million people are members of working families. Tell a personal story if you or someone you know will likely be affected.

- Any replacement plan must be immediate and ensure none of these people lose their health insurance.

Let's transform our anger into action and make sure we don't let these 956,000 Pennsylvanians down.

Caption: - Patrick Kelley Special To Lnp