Health Care Is a Human Right

The Freedom to Get Care

For many years, my family got our health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. We were self-employed, raising kids, doing work we believed in, and hoping we didn’t get sick.

Every year, we’d wait to see how much premiums would go up. We’d try to guess what we could afford. And we’d ask the same question over and over:

What happens if something really goes wrong?

I know what that feels like.

And I know we can do better.

I’m running for Congress because health care is a human right. No one should have to choose between seeing a doctor and paying their bills.

In America, we talk a lot about freedom.

But what kind of freedom is it if getting sick can ruin your life?

What kind of freedom is it if your health insurance depends on your job, your income, or your luck?

Right now, that’s the system we have.

It’s expensive. It’s confusing. And it leaves too many people behind.

Even if you have insurance, you’re still dealing with high deductibles, surprise bills, and prescription costs that keep rising. And in many parts of Arkansas, finding care at all can be a challenge.

That’s not a system built for people.

It’s a system built around profit. And when profit drives care, people get priced out.

Here’s what needs to change:

• Health care should be guaranteed for every person in this country

• It should not be tied to your job or your income

• And it should not come with bills that follow you for years

That’s why I support Medicare for All.

One simple system. Everyone covered. No one left out.

No more guessing what’s covered. No more losing insurance when you change jobs. No more going into debt because you got sick.

Just care when you need it.

We’ve made progress. The Affordable Care Act helped families like mine. It expanded coverage and protected people with pre-existing conditions.

But it didn’t fix the core problem.

Health care is still treated like a business.

And when profit comes first, people come second.

I’ve seen what that does.

As a pastor, I’ve sat with people who delayed care because they couldn’t afford it. I’ve prayed with families waiting on test results they didn’t know how they’d pay for. I’ve watched people carry stress that had nothing to do with their health and everything to do with the cost.

That’s not freedom.

That’s fear.

And we don’t have to live this way.

Other countries have built systems that cover everyone and cost less. We can do the same. We can build something that reflects our values instead of our fears.

Because when people can get care, everything changes.

They get healthier. They show up for their families. They stay in their communities.

And they don’t have to carry that constant worry in the back of their minds.

Health care is not a privilege.

It’s not something you earn.

It’s a basic part of a decent society.

And freedom should include the freedom to get care when you need it.