Dear President Trump
I am not a hater who will call you a Cheeto Jesus and criticize your every action. I am not a supporter who will chant your slogan “Make America Great Again.” I am a person who will speak on behalf of your American citizens.
Karina Lule, a woman I interviewed in the LA arts district, has several friends who are suffering from mental illness. Her friends are relying on the Affordable Care Act since they are not wealthy enough to cover their extensive health bills. But after the promise to repeal Obamacare, Karina has never seen her friends so devastated.
Although I am currently living in Korea, I will soon be living in the U.S. for college. I know that the repeal of Obamacare will soon apply to my life since I am an American citizen born in Ohio, Columbus who can be affected by your policies such as the health care bill, which is one of the big reasons why I am writing this letter to you; it matters to me. There are several flaws that the GOP health care bill has and I hope you refine these.
Medicaid has helped many low-income families pay for long-term medical costs. The enormous Medicaid cut will not only increase the number of low-income families unable to pay for health care, but also leave millions of children worrying about the consequences of potential illness — a burden too heavy for them to carry.
Tax credits hugely helped Americans buy health care insurance, but because of the decimation of these tax credits, less Americans will be able to afford health care. Even if they get tax credits, premiums will go up, which will result in a deadlock. Suzette Beamon, a woman I met in LA’s Grand Park, stated that it would be impossible for her to have health insurance if she didn’t work as an accountant.
Currently, it is known that insurance companies can’t charge Americans who are 65 or older more than three times as much as younger Americans. However, the Senate healthcare bill will increase the tax on these aged Americans by five times. This means the House bill would have an 800% increase in premiums for lower income aged Americans. As the U.S. is part of the aging world, with 46.2 million of these people, it is too cruel to take away the elder’s money.
The Essential Health Benefits covered a minimum amount of health care including maternity care, mental health care, and prescription for drugs. If you get rid of this protection, all these will not be covered. Repealing Obamacare is the same as taking away more of people’s money. In addition, states will no longer have the obligation to protect citizens against insurance companies, which will leave many people with mental illness unable to find a plan in their state that covers what the Essential Health Benefits has covered.
The Senate healthcare bill will fund a giant tax cut for the rich, insurance companies, and drug companies. People making under $200,000 a year, which is 98.5% of the American population, will gain nothing out of this bill in terms of tax cuts. This makes me wonder whether you really care about American citizens as a whole, or only the rich.
Mr. President, I will never know how much pressure you will have as being the leader of America. Your determination of “making America great again” touched millions of people, pushing them to vote for you and let you sit in the Presidential seat. Making America great again will not be accomplished by supporting only the rich, obviously. It will be the balance of economic improvement, discontinuance of discrimination, and the embracement of all social classes. If you could read my letter and rethink the repeal of Obamacare, I believe you would genuinely follow your slogan.
Sincerely yours,
Grace Shin
