ICYMI – Republican U.S. Senate candidate Corky Messner and his campaign heckled Granite Staters with pre-existing conditions who were sharing their health care stories yesterday in Manchester. As Messner’s supporters tried to drown out their stories with chants, Dr. Chelsey Lewis, whose daughter has tuberous sclerosis, Jacqui Silvani, whose son is a cancer survivor, Amy Franklin, who has epilepsy, and State Representative Pat Long called out Messner for his comments denying the existence of pre-existing conditions and discussed what could happen to their health care if Messner is successful in repealing the Affordable Care Act.

“Chelsey Lewis of Bedford said treating her 5-year-old daughter’s rare disease, tuberous sclerosis, had already cost hundreds of thousands of dollars,” writes Josie Albertson-Grove in the Union Leader. “The Affordable Care Act outlawed the ‘lifetime benefit limits’ that used to cut sick people off from health insurance, and Lewis said she wondered how her daughter would get care if the law’s protections went away. ‘This is just insulting,’ Lewis said, her voice barely audible over chants of ‘Drain the swamp! Drain the swamp!’”

Union Leader: Granite Status: Swampy confrontation at Arms Park

By Josie Albertson-Grove

[…]

The demonstration was organized by the New Hampshire branch of President Donald Trump‘s reelection campaign, which is also supporting Messner’s bid for Senate.

Asked why supporters of Messner and President Donald Trump were chanting at people worried about accessing health insurance, Republican National Committee spokeswoman Nina McLaughlin said Democrats are ginning up unrealistic fear about what would happen if Republicans are elected.

“Where’s Jeanne? Where’s Jeanne?” went another chant.

The Shaheen supporters went on talking as if the other group was not there. Counter-protesters or no, they were still worried about what would happen if the Affordable Care Act were to be repealed or struck down in the courts.

Amy Franklin of Plainfield said she is concerned about being excluded from health insurance if the Affordable Care Act goes away. Before the law’s regulations, insurance providers used to be able to charge Franklin more or refuse to insure her because of her epilepsy, a “pre-existing condition.”

Chelsey Lewis of Bedford said treating her 5-year-old daughter’s rare disease, tuberous sclerosis, had already cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. The Affordable Care Act outlawed the “lifetime benefit limits” that used to cut sick people off from health insurance, and Lewis said she wondered how her daughter would get care if the law’s protections went away.

“This is just insulting,” Lewis said, her voice barely audible over chants of “Drain the swamp! Drain the swamp!”

Jacqui Silvani of Newfields spoke about her son, Joe, who survived cancer. She worried he will be unable to buy health insurance of his own some day.

“Four more years! Four more years!” the chants echoed across the brick plaza.

Manchester alderman and state Rep. Pat Long said he wished the group across the park would tell their own stories about health care instead of chanting and jeering.

“I wish it was a serious discussion,” Long said.

[…]

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