We weren't activists, but efforts to repeal Obamacare converted us | Guest column

Our entire lives, we have been there for each other as we have gone through diagnosis after diagnosis. We are identical twins, and because our lives and stories are intertwined, we decided to tell our health care story together.

At 48, I, Paula Albright, am petrified of going back to life before the Affordable Care Act. I was first diagnosed with cervical cancer when I was 18 years old, and although I have had coverage off and on throughout my life, there was a period when I didn’t have health insurance. An insurance company denied me because of my preexisting condition.

During that year, I was terrified. I was forced to make tough choices. Every three months, I chose to pay out-of-pocket for my doctor’s appointments in order to get the critical care I needed. At every visit, I had a pap smear, and every time I was scared that the test would tell me that I needed surgery. The question that kept me up at night was, if I have to have surgery, can I afford it or will this lifesaving surgery bankrupt me? I shouldn’t have to choose between putting a roof over my head and receiving lifesaving treatment. After a year of fighting with the insurance company, they finally granted me insurance.

MORE | Senate health care bill: Where we are now

It didn’t stop there. I then had a hysterectomy and lost my job. I was lucky the ACA had become law, and I was able to receive affordable health coverage through the exchange.

At 48, I, Susan Stutz, have cysts on my breasts and throughout my body. I lost my reproductive system because of multiple cysts on my uterus, which was the size of a basketball when they took it out. I’ve had these cysts since I was a teenager, but over the years, they have become a bigger and bigger health issue. This means, I have to have a mammogram and ultrasound done every six months to see if I have any new cysts and that nothing has transformed into cancer.

I also worry about my children. My daughter aged off our healthcare plan, and will very soon be without insurance. My son is intellectually challenged, and currently is on our insurance. However, once he’s 26, it’ll be up to the insurance company if they continue to cover him. If they don’t, we’ll have to turn to Medicaid.

We’re not lifelong activists, but the disastrous Republican healthcare plan has transformed us. Healthcare is why we got involved, and is our number one issue. We’ve written letters and attended protests all in the hope that our local congressman, U.S. Rep. Brian Mast, and his Republican colleagues won’t take our coverage away.

But Mast voted for the American Health Care Act, and downright lied about its impacts. He said it wouldn’t rollback protections and would ensure costs were low for those with preexisting conditions. He’s wrong. He said it restores access to quality, affordable coverage. He’s wrong. He said it is a good bill. He’s wrong.

MORE | Senate Republicans clear key hurdle on Obamacare repeal, but the hard part is still ahead

As two people with preexisting conditions, we would see premiums rise, and could very well be priced out of coverage altogether. On top of allowing insurance companies to charge us more for a preexisting condition, we also are approaching the age where we fear our premiums could skyrocket because of the so-called “Age Tax” on people over 50, where insurance companies could charge us more just because of our age.

We worry about Susan’s daughter being able to obtain coverage with a preexisting condition, and if she’ll even be able to afford it. We worry about the kind of care Susan’s son will receive under these proposed Medicaid cuts.

Mast and his Republican colleagues should be ashamed of their votes. They should be ashamed for trying to play political games with our healthcare and our lives.

Each of us only has one body, and we shouldn’t have to choose between putting a roof over our head, feeding our family and getting the healthcare coverage we so desperately need.

We deserve better. Americans deserve better.

Paula Albright, a 48-year-old resident of Palm City, is an estate and trust litigation paralegal, a leader for IndivisibleMartin and a Planned Parenthood volunteer leader.

Susan Stutz, a 48-year-old resident of Port St. Lucie, is a family law paralegal, Planned Parenthood leader volunteer and member of Planned Parenthood Speakers Bureau.