title:  Trump’s Healthcare Bill Would Force This Mom To Pay Her 3-Year-Old Son’s Entire $231,000 Medical Bill
text: If you want to know just how bad Donald Trump s healthcare bill would be for this country, just ask Ali Chandra.Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, Chandra was able to get health insurance for her three-year-old son, who has a pre-existing condition known as heterotaxy syndrome, a defect he was born with. Heterotaxy syndrome literally means different arrangements,  Chandra explained to CNN on Sunday. Ethan was born with nine heart defects   nine congenital heart defects. He has two left lungs, five or so spleens of dubious function, and his liver and his gallbladder are down the middle of his body along with his heart, and then his stomach is on the right side instead of the left side. Here s the video via YouTube.Any human being, especially parents, should sympathize with Chandra and what she and her family are going through.But their situation would be much worse if the Trumpcare bill passes Congress and is signed into law. The protections guaranteed by the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, would vanish. And that could mean financial ruin for Chandra and her family, and the loss of the care Ethan needs.You see, without insurance and the protections Obamacare provides, Chandra would have to pay $231,000 instead of just $500 for the medical care Ethan has received. She even posted the bill on Twitter and proceeded to explain what s at stake.It seems fitting that, with the #TrumpCare debate raging, I got this bill in the mail today from Ethan s most recent open heart surgery. pic.twitter.com/pyUE2UxbWW  Ali (@aliranger29) June 24, 2017I ll save you some math; without insurance we would owe $231,115 for 10 hours in the OR, 1 week in the CICU and 1 week on the cardiac floor. pic.twitter.com/CQ9OjOsFX8  Ali (@aliranger29) June 24, 2017He s had four of these surgeries, some more involved than others. The one before this had him in the CICU for three weeks.  Ali (@aliranger29) June 24, 2017So far, Ethan s care has gone over the $1 million mark. Trump s healthcare bill would put lifetime caps on benefits, which means insurance companies would be able to deny coverage to Ethan after reaching a fixed dollar amount. That means no healthcare for Ethan unless his family goes broke to save him.That s not only cruel, it s inhumane, especially since Republicans claim to be  pro-life. And Ethan s medical care is not done yet.We re hopeful that going forwards he ll need fewer and smaller surgeries, but this was not the last time they ll open his chest.  Ali (@aliranger29) June 24, 2017The surgeon who created what we call Ethan s  Picasso heart,  shaping 4 chambers from the 2 he was born with, is several states away.  Ali (@aliranger29) June 24, 2017We also regularly see a local cardiologist, and electrophysiologist for his pacemaker, a pediatrician, & immunology for his polysplenia.  Ali (@aliranger29) June 24, 2017He takes 5 different prescription medications multiple times a day. All of this adds up. None of this would be possible without insurance.  Ali (@aliranger29) June 24, 2017And I want you to go look at that number again. Nearly a quarter million dollars for one surgery. Reinstate lifetime caps and he s out.  Ali (@aliranger29) June 24, 2017He blew past the million dollar mark long ago; I haven t even mentioned the ER trips for sepsis workups every time his temp goes above 100.4  Ali (@aliranger29) June 24, 2017Or the surprise admissions that sometimes follow those ER visits when his body just isn t strong enough to fight a common virus at home.  Ali (@aliranger29) June 24, 2017Donald Trump and the Republican Party should be fighting to save this boy s life, not trying to kill him by taking away his healthcare.Furthermore, the astronomical price of Ethan s healthcare is morally wrong considering what similar medical care costs in other developed nations, especially those with socialized systems. According to Twitter users who commented on Chandra s post, Ethan s medical bills in nations such as Sweden and England would be far less.In Sweden max $130/year for healthcare and another $260/year for meds. My breast cancer costed me about $700 incl hysterektomi op  Annika Dahlberg (@LoveMyLotus) June 24, 2017NHS has huge problems but it does work. I have three 1st hand examples of how serious, prolonged, excellent care costs ZERO.  Richard Ingham Evans (@Ringham7) June 24, 2017Indeed, in 2015, a British couple unexpectedly had to have their baby delivered in an American hospital and end up being slapped with a $200,000 medical bill for something that would have been free at a National Health Service hospital or only $15,000 at a private facility in the UK.So whether provided by the government or by private hospitals, healthcare is far less expensive in other nations and is provided to all.That s what we need in America. Instead, Republicans are working on stripping healthcare away from millions of people.But Chandra is determined to fight for her son s life even if Republicans wont.A lifetime cap on benefits is the same as saying,  Sorry, you re not worth keeping alive anymore. You re just too expensive.  Ali (@aliranger29) June 24, 2017Look my son in the eyes and tell him that he s fought so hard to be here but sorry, you re just not worth it anymore. I dare you. pic.twitter.com/IgdQOounyB  Ali (@aliranger29) June 24, 2017Featured Image: Screenshot