Every mom knows that the list of things to worry about when it comes to raising our kids is long. Did the kids get to school on time? Are they settled as I head to work? Is it OK for my family to have Frosted Flakes for dinner 3 nights this week? From the admittedly absurd, to the quite serious, there’s a lot we’re thinking about when it comes to our families. But we’re sure we can all agree that one thing we shouldn’t have to worry about is our family losing critical, lifesaving healthcare coverage. But no thanks to U.S. Senators Graham, Cassidy, and Heller, that’s a real concern.  

We are two moms among millions of Americans most vulnerable to losing healthcare coverage under the GOP’s latest plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Put simply, the Affordable Care Act  is the only reason our families are able to access healthcare. When the ACA expanded healthcare coverage for millions of Americans, including those with pre-existing conditions, and included cancer screenings as a required benefit in insurance plans, our families benefitted tremendously. But under the Graham-Cassidy-Heller bill, the guarantee of coverage and these protections are gone. By stripping Medicaid, this bill hits families in our home state of Nevada the hardest, especially in rural and low income communities.  It would prevent our kids, and us, from receiving the care we need, whether it’s mammograms to screen for breast cancer, or a cast to fix broken bones. No family should have to take on hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt just to stay alive and healthy.

After Connie beat an aggressive strain of breast cancer, she lost her insurance and now had a pre-existing condition. Due to her history with cancer, she needed annual mammograms that cost $850 to make sure she stayed in remission. Without insurance, Connie turned to Planned Parenthood, who helped her receive the necessary check ups to remain cancer free that first year after losing healthcare coverage.

Thanks to the ACA, Connie was able to receive the mammograms she needed, and access affordable healthcare that ensures she can continue living her life happy, healthy, and cancer free. Her daughters can also use the ACA to determine if they’re at risk of cancer, too. Bottom line: access to affordable care has been, and will continue to be, critical for Connie and her family.

Similarly, Erika is a single mother of three. Among the many challenges of raising three kids on her own, Erika has to worry about accessing healthcare in an underserved community. The ACA’s expansion of Medicaid allows Erika to access care for her kids, which was especially helpful that time her son broke his arm jumping off the couch. Without Medicaid, the copays would’ve been too much, and Erika would’ve had to choose between the giant emergency room bill or paying for other essentials such as her electricity bill. If Graham-Cassidy-Heller passes,  Erika’s family could lose coverage. Her kids will be without healthcare, and she could be without means to provide them new care.

As moms and women, we’re also deeply troubled by this bill’s treatment of Planned Parenthood, a trusted healthcare provider in Nevada. Graham-Cassidy-Heller would defund Planned Parenthood, depriving thousands of Nevada women of essential healthcare like birth control, cancer screenings, and more. Our fellow NARAL Nevada volunteer, Rachel, had her life saved by Planned Parenthood, after countless doctors failed to provide relief for the insufferable pain caused by her endometriosis. The pain was unbearable, and made her question whether she could live with it. Doctors at Planned Parenthood were the only ones able to help her, allowing Rachel to get out of bed every day and continue living her life. By enacting this bill, Dean Heller and the GOP are taking away vital healthcare that people like Rachel need to survive.

Over the course of the year, we’ve seen numerous attacks on the ACA, and attempts to repeal it. People in our communities in Nevada have been activated by these shameless attacks on our rights. We’ve called our members of Congress, we’ve marched in the streets, we’ve made our message clear: we need the ACA and we’ll hold politicians, like Senator Dean Heller, who want to take it away accountable. We the people defeated the last attempt to repeal the ACA. But instead of moving on to other business like job creation, the GOP is ignoring our concerns and pushing even harder to take our kids' healthcare away.  

Moms are nothing if not persistent and tough when it comes to our families. The GOP can ignore our calls and avoid town halls, but we will continue to make our voices heard. If they  continue to attack our families and our healthcare, we’ll remember at the ballot box and hold them accountable.

Connie and Erika are both Nevada residents and members of NARAL Nevada.