Judy Chu: “Health care reform will make life better for your son, your daughter, your mother, your father and the people you see…”

“Health care reform will make life better for your son, your daughter, your mother, your father and the people you see every day. It certainly would have made life better for Eric, a young man on my staff. Eric was only 22 years old when he was diagnosed with cancer of the lymph node. He went through 2 years of chemotherapy on his father's health insurance. They paid thousands of dollars in copays and traveled hundreds of miles to find lower cost care, but at least they had insurance. The crisis came when he reached the age of 24 and was going to be kicked off his parents' insurance. He tried to buy insurance but was denied because of a preexisting condition. Thank goodness he got a job with us. But with health care reform he wouldn't have had to fear for his young life, because children will be covered up until their 27th birthday. With health care reform, we have a chance to save lives. For the sake of young people like Eric, we must pass health care reform.”