Last week, Cal joined  North Carolinians Susie Evans and Bev Veals to discuss his efforts to fight for affordable, accessible health care and health care protections made possible by the Affordable Care Act as Sen. Tillis continues to vote against the health interests of North Carolinians. Tillis has voted repeatedly to repeal the ACA, blocked Medicaid expansion as North Carolina Speaker of the House and supports a lawsuit headed to the Supreme Court that could repeal the ACA entirely, including its protections for pre-existing conditions. Tillis’ record is especially harmful amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 

Susie, a mother of two daughters each with pre-existing conditions, told Cal on a virtual press event that if they didn’t have prescription drug coverage from the Affordable Care Act they wouldn’t be able to afford her daughter’s necessary medicines. The Enquirer Journal wrote about Susie’s story: ‘’She’s basically uninsurable without the protections of the ACA,” Evans said. “Because how truly would we afford $48,000 a year in medicines?’”

Susie also shared how the ACA protected her children from pre-existing condition discrimination. During the event she said “If you don’t have a pre-existing condition, you most likely love somebody who does. If you don’t love somebody who does, remember you are only one diagnosis away from that.” 

WATCH:

Bev Veals, a three-time cancer survivor, also spoke with Cal about her struggles navigating the health insurance system while fighting cancer and how the Affordable Care Act allowed her to fight her cancer with dignity. Last month, when Bev reached out to Tillis’ office with concerns about health care coverage, she was dismissed by a Tillis staffer who told her: “you’re going to have to figure it out.” 

North Carolinians, like Bev and Susie, know that Tillis’ record on health care is wrong for our state.while Cal will work to build and strengthen the Affordable Care Act, expand Medicaid and lower the cost of prescription drugs through efforts like allowing Medicare to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies. 

Read more about Cal’s priorities and Susie and Bev’s stories below: 

The Enquirer Journal: Cunningham supports ACA, shares example of why

By Holly Morgan – September 28, 2020

• Susie Evans, of Weddington, was featured in a virtual press call hosted by U.S. Senate Democratic candidate Cal Cunningham and his campaign “Cal for NC.” The call focused on the future of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and it’s impact on local families.
• She explained that if their family did not have prescription drug coverage, her daughter’s brand of injections would be at least $4,000 per month, out of pocket and on the discounts list “which of course if you didn’t have insurance, you would use,” Evans said. She explained further that the injections are necessary and not having them is not a choice.
• “She’s basically uninsurable without the protections of the ACA,” Evans said. “Because how truly would we afford $48,000 a year in medicines?”
• “Lifetime maximums would kill my daughter probably before she even could get to adulthood,” Evans said. “If it didn’t kill her before she got to adulthood, the heart failure eventually would that she would be experiencing.”
• “If you don’t have a pre-existing condition, you most likely love somebody who does,” Evans said, “and if you don’t love somebody who does have a pre-existing condition, remember that you’re only a diagnosis away from that.”
• Cunningham said he will continue to work toward implementing Medicaid expansion in North Carolina. Utilizing resources in Washington, D.C. he said more “robust and strong” private and public options need to be made available for families like the Evans.