FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 28, 2020
Contact: Josh Marcus-Blank, josh@jeanneshaheen.org

Manchester, N.H. — On the third anniversary of Senator Jeanne Shaheen helping lead bipartisan efforts to block Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans from repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Shaheen campaign is continuing to share the health care stories of Granite Staters whose lives would be upended without the health care law, to demonstrate its importance. In addition to suing to repeal the ACA in the courts, Trump has vowed to eliminate it if re-elected, with full support from both of Shaheen’s potential Republican opponents. Repealing the ACA would lead to higher health care costs and could kick 105,000 Granite Staters, including 57,000 on Medicaid Expansion, off their health care while jeopardizing protections for the 572,000 Granite Staters with pre-existing conditions.

These stories will be shared through a “Protect the #ACA” video series highlighting New Hampshire residents and families who could be kicked off their health insurance without the ACA or have pre-existing conditions that would allow them to be discriminated against by insurers without the ACA protections. Today’s video features Dr. Cheryl Wilkie, an advocate in the recovery community who emphasizes that New Hampshire’s substance use disorder treatment depends on the ACA.

“I needed Medicaid to get me into treatment. It saved my life. I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for that hand up — not hand out, hand up,” said Dr. Cheryl Wilkie. “And I want to thank Senator Shaheen for continuing to work on the ACA to make sure that Medicaid Expansion exists, because we have many people in our state who need treatment, and they’re going to get treatment because of the ACA… We don’t need more victims, we need more treatment.”

The Affordable Care Act ensures that substance use disorder treatment is covered as an essential health benefit and created Medicaid Expansion, which has been a lifeline for Granite Staters struggling with addiction. Without the ACA and its support for treatment and recovery, 105,000 Granite Staters, including 57,000 on Medicaid Expansion, would be kicked off their health care, and there would be no protections for the 572,000 Granite Staters with pre-existing conditions.

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