Americans with pre-existing conditions are seeing changes to their health insurance coverage.

My father has chronic lymphocytic leukemia, a blood cancer that does not have a cure but is treatable. He will live the rest of his life with this pre-existing condition.

Congress and the Trump administration have repeatedly promised to protect health care coverage for Americans with pre-existing conditions. Unfortunately, actions speak much louder than words. Since late last year, they have taken several steps to slowly eliminate coverage for millions of Americans. In President Trump’s first year in office alone, 3.2 million Americans lost access to health insurance.

Changes to the Affordable Care Act have resulted and will continue to result in skyrocketing premiums and insurance marketplaces with fewer coverage choices. When the individual mandate repeal goes into effect in 2019, the number of Americans without health insurance will go up and so will their premiums. More people with pre-existing conditions will not be able to afford health insurance coverage that meets their medical needs.

My father and all Americans need health care coverage with reasonable premiums, protections for pre-existing conditions and health benefits with an adequate network of providers. Sabotaging the ACA will not achieve those goals.

Kristin Fuhrmann-Simmons

Kennebunkport