To Anyone Who Supports the Repeal of the Affordable Care Act

I am the definition of “personal responsibility.” Please hear me out.

Five years ago, I was successfully treated for early stage breast cancer. That means that for insurance purposes, I have a preexisting condition.

I am self-employed and unmarried, so I have to purchase my own insurance. I am now healthy and do not receive any subsidies to purchase health insurance. But if the ACA is repealed, I could lose my insurance entirely or be left with no option except one like the high risk pool described in this article from The New York Times that would leave me effectively uninsured.

If you think that I am just looking to take from the government, let me assure you that I am pretty much the definition of “personal responsibility.” I went to college, put myself through law school and have worked as a lawyer for 25 years. I have worked hard to give myself and my adopted daughter a comfortable life. To use the jargon of the opponents of the ACA, I am a “maker,” not a “taker.” The only thing I have “done” to find myself in this position was create my own job and get sick once. And I certainly didn’t choose to get sick.

I hope you have enough heart to not put me and millions of people at risk. You or someone you love could be just one illness away from where I am now. Our lives are in your hands.

About the author — Page Barnes is a full-time mom and lawyer and part-time humor writer who writes as “Your Mom” at yourmomsguidetolife.com. See an example of her humor writing here: “30 Reasons Why Guns Are Needed in Schools.”