All Need Health Care

We are Santa Barbarans: My paternal grandparents came to Santa Barbara in 1912, and my maternal grandparents in the early1920s. My grandfather, Perry Curtis Taylor, served on the City Council. My parents were born, raised, and educated here; my husband Casey’s parents arrived in the 1940s. All have supported and contributed to this community.

We are your friends, neighbors, local volunteers; we went to school together; we have checked out your groceries, been camp counselors, and helped to educate your children with special needs.

Several years ago, we called attention to some workplace problems, and unfortunately, our work situation changed and with that so did our health insurance. We needed your help in the form of the ACA, Affordable Care Act, Obamacare/Covered California to help lower our monthly costs. And we were lucky to have it.

February 1, 2016, was when our Obamacare insurance started, Casey also started his new job. On February 5, I was in the hospital with myocardial infarction, heart attack, due to stress. Thank goodness for health insurance! My bills came to almost $50,000. As well as paying our monthly ACA fees, we paid my $6,500 deductible.

We have continued to pay our taxes, be of service to our community, and live a good life, with thanks to our government realizing that all people need and are worthy of health care. It’s not, nor should it ever be considered, a privilege.