Labrador uncaring about care
On March 2, I sat in Congressman Raul Labrador’s office on Capitol Hill, clutching photos of my 9 year-old-old son. Brady was born with a genetic disease called cystic fibrosis - a frightening diagnosis that demands the highest level of specialized care for management. Because Brady’s life depends on access to health care, my husband and I do not enjoy the luxury of turning a deaf ear to policy discussions that will impact access to the care and medications that literally keep our child breathing.
Rep. Labrador promotes the return of high-risk pools as a method of providing coverage for those with pre-existing conditions. Patient groups widely oppose high-risk pools due to the history of inadequacy to provide for those who need it most. He refused to acknowledge that people like my son stand to lose the most from his idea to allow insurers to once again discriminate against those with pre-existing conditions.
High-risk pools were disastrous before the Affordable Care Act, and we refuse to go back. Rep. Labrador is shockingly disconnected and dangerous. He didn’t even pretend to care about how his plan would impact the most vulnerable constituents in his district.
Rebecca Schroeder
Coeur d’Alene