Repeal is a matter of life and death at hospitals

In his column “Resist the bullying. Don’t

vote for a mystery health care bill,” former Republican senator David Durenberger urged Senate Republicans to vote against the health care bill their party put forward. He correctly points out that most senators don’t even know what is in the bill. Republicans have been clamoring to repeal the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) since 2010, but at the moment of truth, they have no clear proposal.

As an emergency room physician, I frequently see the consequences of barriers to insurance. Earlier this year, I cared for a young man who had been feeling tired for months. He was working full time, but health insurance was expensive. He thought the symptoms would pass. They did not.

When I saw him he was in severe multi-organ failure and bleeding heavily. As we resuscitated him with intravenous fluids, medications and blood transfusions, he kept asking me how much it would cost. As if it were not enough to learn he might die, he was worried about the financial implications.

Changes to health care policy have consequences. If Republicans are seriously considering legislation that would cause millions to lose insurance, they should have had a coherent replacement plan. Ian Warrington, M.D. Washington, D.C.