Unite against Tom Price – or we all pay the price in future healthcare costs

“We are more alike, my friends,
than we are unalike.”

From Maya Angelou’s “Human Family”

If you’ve been paying attention to the news and social media lately, Angelou’s sentiment about our similarities may seem questionable at the moment. We appear to be a nation deeply divided on the majority of issues. To complicate matters further, the press, the pundits, and the politicians sow even more discontent by perpetually highlighting these divisions. No one seems to be able to agree on how to right the ship and sail on to a more prosperous America for all.

However, one of the things that we are mostly united about is the importance of quality, affordable healthcare for everyone.

• The Pew Research Center recently published a report concluding that sixty percent of Americans believe that the government “should be responsible for ensuring health care coverage for all Americans, compared with 38% who say this should not be the government’s responsibility.”
• Additionally, in a poll evaluating healthcare priorities for 2017, the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) reports that 67% of Americans believe that lowering out-of-pocket healthcare costs is a top priority for the incoming administration.
• 61% also think that a reduction in the cost of prescription drugs should be a top priority, according to the same KFF study.

These statistics, along with the growing movement to save the Affordable Care Act, indicate that we are not as divided as it may seem. Constituents in both Aurora, Colorado and Spokane, Washington gained national attention by gathering at public events and demanding answers to their healthcare concerns. Despite this growing unification, the incoming administration continues to push repeal. The Congressional Budget Office reports that the repeal will have the opposite effect of what most of us want – in fact, it will result in the loss of coverage for many and the increase in premiums for all.

Tom Price, Trump’s nominee for the department of Health and Human Services, has been an outspoken critic of the ACA. He even authored a bill devised to repeal it. Of further concern is his voting record and stance on reproductive rights. Mr. Price’s policies do not reflect those of the majority of Americans.

It is vital that we keep the pressure on our elected officials to block these nominations and save the Affordable Care Act. Call John Cornyn , Ted Cruz , and your local representative . If you’re at a loss for words, be sure to use the excellent scripts provided here. If possible, organize a group to meet with your representatives about the serious healthcare issues facing us as Texans.

Kendall Shearman