Affordable Care Act benefits people

Dear Joni Ernst:

First, congratulations on the election. During the campaign, one of your promises was to repeal the Affordable Care Act. I wanted to be sure you knew how the ACA benefits people.

My 13-year-old son has a shunt, asthma and a genetic disease called neurofibromatosis. Without the ACA, when he is done with school, probably in his early 20s, he will no longer be eligible to stay on our insurance. Insurance companies once again would be allowed to deny him coverage or refuse to cover anything associated with his pre-existing conditions. All shunts fail. He has had it fixed once already and without insurance the bills would have been close to $100,000.

Without the Affordable Care Act, if his shunt malfunctions or if he needs surgeries due to his NF (tumor growth is common), he could be forced to consider bankruptcy.

Please consider my son and people like him when considering repealing the Affordable Care Act.

Stephen Fasnacht

Monticello