The Drive for Our Lives bus tour started off the week in the Windy City, holding an event with Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky and MoveOn.org’s Washington Director, Ben Wikler.
At the event, held in Daley Plaza, we heard personal stories from Illinoisans concerned about the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, like Katie from Peoria.
“Before the Affordable Care Act was enacted, I was working as a social worker, promoting hope and awareness about suicide, but I couldn’t afford health care for myself and my son. This was before health insurance companies were forced to cover pre-existing conditions. So I had to go out and buy a high-deductible catastrophic coverage plan with a health savings account. I felt like it was the responsible thing to do.
My child had constant nosebleeds and we knew he had something going on, a respiratory condition. I took him to the allergy specialist and I found out that because insurance companies could discriminate against patients with pre-existing conditions, my son’s basic visits to the pediatrician for his respiratory illness, would not be covered.
While I was working to pay for my son’s medicine, I had to forgo my own health needs. In the richest country in the world, that’s unacceptable.
I fear that our country’s leaders are making decisions for health care policy based on greed, and that is absolutely shameful. I stand up to say that my family matters—my family’s health care coverage matters. My children should have coverage—and every child in every zip code should have comprehensive health care coverage.”
Following the event, some of the local Chicago organizers took a walk over to Chicago’s River Walk to sit down with Ben for a Bus Talk. Watch our Bus Talk and hear about the work happening on the ground to #ProtectOurCare here.
We're with @MoveOn's @benwikler in Chicago for a Bus Talk. Tune in live: https://t.co/Jha5csiOTu pic.twitter.com/gQQAkQRsxN
— Save My Care (@SaveMyCare) August 14, 2017
Watch the Drive for Our Lives stop in Chicago here.
