Letter: Those with Pre-Existing Conditions at Risk

Rep. Tom Marino recently met with the editorial board of my local newspaper and expressed sympathy for people with pre-existing conditions. He even said he wouldn’t vote in favor of legislation that would strip protections from people with pre-existing conditions. But Rep. Marino already has voted to strip protections for people with pre-existing conditions — many times.

I visited Rep. Marino’s Lake Ariel office with about 10 other constituents on May 4, 2017. This was the day Rep. Marino voted in favor of repealing the Affordable Care Act. His “yes” vote allowed individual states to apply for waivers that would let insurers charge much higher premiums for people with pre-existing conditions, effectively pricing them out of the market. If that bill had passed in the Senate instead of failing, millions of people with pre-existing conditions would have already lost their healthcare. 

Among the group of people I visited Rep. Marino’s office with was a friend whose 5-year-old son has type I diabetes. Others had suffered heart problems, pregnancy complications and mental illness. We pleaded with Rep. Marino’s staff to bring our concerns to him. They had already rejected dozens of requests for constituent meetings or public town halls. That day, they didn’t even allow us to enter the office.

That’s how Rep. Marino and his staff have treated actual constituents with pre-existing conditions. I urge voters to look at his record and decide if they think he’s telling the truth about protecting those with pre-existing conditions now. I don’t. 

Anne Stopper