Preserve ACA protections in Hawaii

This time last year, the U. S. House of Representatives failed in its first attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Republican leadership and the White House tried to jam through a bill that would have thrown millions of people off their health insurance. And people across the country sent a clear message: No.

Over the past year we have seen numerous attacks on health care, which is why Hawaii is taking matters into its own hands. As a young person currently benefiting from the protections in the ACA, I am proud to be someone who stands up and speaks out in support of the ACA.

Nearly half the states in this country are filing lawsuits that would make the ACA illegal in their state. Hawaii is moving in the opposite direction and working on a multitude of bills that would make federal ACA protections state law.

Senate Bill 2340 aims to prohibit insurance companies from discriminating based on pre-existing conditions, charging women more for services, and allowing people 25 or younger to be covered by their parent or guardian’s health insurance.

We don’t want to wait and find out what happens to health care, especially when our elected leaders keep playing political games.

The fact is, the ACA has dramatically improved the health coverage and care for millions of Americans. And most people don’t want it to go away — 54 percent of the public now holds favorable views of the ACA.

I am one of them. I support SB 2340 because it ensures protection of care for those with pre-existing conditions, women and even young adults. Personally, this bill is very important because I am currently a college student who is under 26 years old. Being on my parent’s health insurance allows me to not worry about not receiving proper health care.

The cost of living in Hawaii is already high so I wouldn’t be able to afford the monthly insurance payments when paying for rent is already difficult enough. Staying on my parent’s health insurance gives me the time I need to finish up with school and to settle into my career.

Hawaii isn’t afraid to pave its own way when it comes to health care leadership. Hawaii was the first state to receive an innovation waiver under ACA. Hawaii has also led on reproductive health care by legalizing abortion before the Roe v. Wade decision, and becoming one of the first states in the nation to require insurers to cover 12 months of birth control.

Women have seen substantial gains since the ACA became law. Before 2010, millions of women were denied coverage because of so-called “pre-existing conditions” like breast cancer, pregnancy or domestic abuse; some were forced to pay more for insurance just because they were women; and some were only allowed limited plans that excluded coverage for any health concerns they already had. Hawaii is addressing these protections to make sure we take our residents forward, not backward.

I have seen firsthand how this law effects young people, women and families. I know many families and young people who have two or more jobs and living paycheck to paycheck just to be able to pay off their bills or to buy enough food to feed their families. By passing this bill, many people in Hawaii, including me, will benefit from these protections.

Genie Reutirez, an Ewa Beach resident, is a senior at Hawaii Pacific University with a focus in public health.