On the recordMarch 9, 2017
as Senator Wyden's colloquy comes to an end, I will make a few comments in addition to those of my colleagues, and I very much appreciate all of their work. There are so many different things to talk about as it relates to how healthcare impacts people. As Senator Casey said, this is very personal; it is not political. There are a lot of politics around this, but it is very, very personal. In Michigan, when we are talking about healthcare, in Medicaid alone we are talking about 650,000 people who have been able to get coverage now. Most of them are working in minimum wage jobs, and they now are able to get healthcare but couldn't before, as well as their children. That adds to the majority of seniors who are in nursing homes now, folks getting long-term care, folks getting help for Alzheimer's and other challenges and who are relying on Medicaid healthcare to be able to cover their costs. I want to share a letter, as well, from Wendy, a pediatric nurse practitioner from Oakland County in Michigan. We have received so many letters--I am so grateful for that--and emails. She writes: As a pediatric nurse practitioner, I have seen so many of my patients benefit from the Affordable Care Act. Physical exams for the kids are now covered in full, with no co-pay.…
