Health care is under attack

I have stage 4 breast cancer and am undergoing chemotherapy. I also work full time and run half-marathons. My health coverage is my lifeline.

Access to timely treatment, affordable medications and regular screenings, in addition to doctor consultations, are why I am alive today. Any breaks in coverage could mean delayed care and dire consequences. That’s why I’m so concerned to see that Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar proposed a regulation that could significantly weaken the health insurance marketplaces and threaten access to health coverage for cancer patients, survivors and anyone at risk of developing the disease.

American Cancer Society research shows people without health insurance are more likely to be diagnosed with cancer at later stages, when the disease is more expensive to treat and chance of survival is reduced. Azar’s proposed regulation would increase the availability of short-term plans that skirt patient protections, and allow these plans to be available for much longer periods than they were designed to be offered. It would weaken the insurance marketplace, make plans unaffordable and could lead to more bare-bones plans that can deny coverage based on health history or cap coverage.

Nevada residents deserve better than this.

Jet Mitchell, Las Vegas