President Donald Trump’s effort to terminate the Affordable Care Act during a deadly global pandemic is reckless and could be catastrophic for millions of Americans. Without health care, people will be less likely to seek treatment for their health conditions. As a medical student, I have seen firsthand the impact of delaying health care treatment due to lack of insurance or inability to pay. People may ignore concerning symptoms of COVID-19 to avoid co-pays and out-of-pocket costs.
Delaying care during this pandemic is not only dangerous to the individuals, but also to those around them, given the spread of the virus. This is particularly true for those with risk factors, such as diabetes or heart disease, who are at increased risk of complications.
Crippling the ACA poses a myriad of other obstacles for patients. For example, patients with pre-existing conditions, who were protected from discriminatory exclusion by the ACA, could lose coverage in a time when their condition puts them at greater risk. Not only is President Trump failing to lead during COVID-19, he is actively taking steps to move America backwards in its health care progress, while risking millions of lives.
Rohit Anand,
Cleveland
Rohit Anand is a medical student at Case Western Reserve University.