Listen to what North Dakotans have to say about the Republican Health Care Bills
American families are mad and scared.
They’re mad and scared because under the Republican health care bills, their children with disabilities wouldn’t be able to afford the care they need. Their parents or grandparents in nursing homes may not be able to afford care in old age. Those in rural communities may lose access to rural hospitals. Those seeking help for opioid addiction could lose their treatment.
For families across the country, they don’t care about the politics of what is happening in Congress. They just want to make sure they and their loved ones can afford and get care.
No family should be forced to choose between bankruptcy or lifesaving care for a child or loved one. But that’s what these bills would do — both the initial Republican health care bills, the one released last week, and the bill to simply repeal the health reform law without having any replacement plan.
Don’t just listen to me to hear about how bad the Republican health care bills would be for individuals and families across our state. Below, hear directly from North Dakotans about how these bills would put so many families in impossible situations — ripping away their health care or forcing them to choose between bankruptcy to pay for care for a loved one or forgoing care.
Anthony Arnold from Grand Forks
Matthew Nelson from Williston
Sue Leake from Grand Forks
Griffin from Bismarck
Jennifer Restemayer from West Fargo
Fran Arusell from Fessenden
For 25 years, Fran Arusell was a third grade teacher in Fessenden. When she was 21 years old, while she was teaching, she was diagnosed with a syndrome that affects the nerve endings in her body. She became paralyzed but taught herself to walk again. For the rest of her life, she has had to face the challenges that come with this disorder. Today, Fran can’t walk anymore and she has been in wheelchair for the past 24 years.
For most of her life, Fran lived independently with her husband who passed away in 2000. But in the past few years, she reached a point where she needed full time care. Now 84 years old, she lives in a nursing home in Harvey where she has been for four years. Fran had been in and out of nursing homes a few times beforehand which all required private pay. Because of the extreme costs, Fran doesn’t have any money or savings left as she spent it all on her health care. Now she is one of many seniors on Medicaid which enables her to afford the quality, long-term care she needs to live with dignity and support. At the nursing home, she gets the extensive assistance she needs while bathing, dressing, and doing any activities.
Fran doesn’t know what she would do without Medicaid. She is married but doesn’t have any children to help her. Her siblings are all older as well and they wouldn’t be able to provide the level of care she needs. If it weren’t for Medicaid, Fran would be out of options. The Senate Republican health care bill could take away the coverage Fran and so many other seniors rely on.
