Press Releases

Today, U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08) announced that he will welcome Ben Tielle, 52, of Pittston, Pennsylvania, as his guest for the State of the Union Address on Tuesday, February 4.

In 2016, Tielle suffered a heart attack and underwent open heart surgery. Shortly thereafter, he was diagnosed with kidney failure; he is now on a dialysis regimen and is on the waiting list for a transplant from a living donor, the wait time for which could be up to seven years unless he is able to find a donor himself. He has also been living with diabetes for 32 years and uses Insulin. Tielle had employer-sponsored health insurance, but it is set to expire on Monday, February 3, and he will need to purchase a new plan.

Thanks to the pre-existing condition protections under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), insurance companies cannot deny him coverage. However, if the Washington Republican-led lawsuit against the ACA succeeds, those protections would be eliminated. Without insurance, Tielle would not be able to afford the medication he needs to manage his blood pressure and diabetes.

“I take prescription drugs for my heart issues, and insulin to manage my diabetes. It hasn’t been easy to deal with multiple medical conditions, but I’ve been fortunate to have health coverage that helped me get the medication I need,” said Tielle. “I know that I can still get a new insurance plan because of the Affordable Care Act, but I’m worried what will happen if it’s struck down. If insurance companies are able to turn me away because of my conditions, there’s no way I could afford all of my prescriptions. I’m looking forward to attending the State of the Union as Congressman Cartwright’s guest and highlighting why we need Congress to make sure people like me have access to health care.”

Rep. Cartwright invited Tielle to highlight his story and the story of families and patients across Northeastern Pennsylvania, and to call for an end to the lawsuit against the ACA, which threatens the health care for millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions.

“I’m proud that Ben will be alongside me at the State of the Union. His story is a powerful reminder of what’s at stake if the courts overturn the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,” said Rep. Cartwright. “The lawsuit against the health care law directly threatens the health and economic security of millions of Americans. While House Democrats have been working to expand access to health care and make it more affordable, Washington Republicans have turned to the courts to try and take it away. We must stand up against this attempt to strip Americans of their coverage and eliminate protections for people with pre-existing conditions. We will continue fighting to ensure Americans can afford quality health care coverage for themselves and their families.”

BACKGROUND

In December, the U.S. Court of Appeals for The Fifth Circuit ruled that the ACA’s individual mandate is unconstitutional and ordered a lower district court — which had previously struck down the entirety of the ACA — to again determine the fate of the health care law as a whole. If this Republican-led lawsuit succeeds, disastrous consequences on the health and financial well-being of millions of Americans await. It is estimated that 20 million Americans will lose their insurance coverage, 130 million Americans with pre-existing conditions will no longer be protected, and costs will go up for millions. In Northeastern Pennsylvania, 59,000 are at risk of losing their insurance and 282,000 with pre-existing conditions could be denied coverage.

Rep. Cartwright continues to work in Congress to protect people with pre-existing conditions and lower health care costs. For instance, Rep. Cartwright voted last year to pass H.R. 987, the Strengthening Health Care and Lowering Prescription Drug Costs Act. The congressman also helped pass H.R. 3, the Lower Drug Costs Now Act, which would give Medicare the power to negotiate with drug companies to secure lower prices for Medicare beneficiaries and Americans with private insurance. Unfortunately, both bills remain stalled in the U.S. Senate, despite having support from both Democrats and Republicans.