Health care is a right, not a privilege

I’m asking all Alaskans to question the motives and reasoning behind Sen. Dan Sullivan’s support for the Graham-Cassidy bill that would repeal key sections of the Affordable Care Act and put all Alaskans at risk for losing some or all of their health care coverage.

Major, nationwide medical associations oppose this bill. The America Cancer Society opposes this bill, as well as the American Diabetes Association, American Lung Association, Arthritis Foundation, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, March of Dimes, the MS Society … the list goes on!

Practicing medical experts oppose this bill. Why? Because they know that millions of Americans and thousands of Alaskans will lose access to the health care system.

Health care is not a privilege and it is certainly not just for the privileged. Health care is a responsibility that each one of us owes ourselves and one another. Health and education are the foundations of economic and national security.

If our elected representatives don’t know this basic fact about strong societies, then they need to go.

Robert M. Mikol,

Fairbanks