• michaelbihovsky.com
Michael Bihovsky's Blog
The thoughts, creations, and bizarre adventures of a Composer/Playwright/Performer/Activist
  • michaelbihovsky.com
Home  /  Advocacy • Healthcare • Politics  /  An Open Letter to Senator Pat Toomey: Please, Stop the AHCA, and Save Our Lives
04 May 2017

An Open Letter to Senator Pat Toomey: Please, Stop the AHCA, and Save Our Lives

Written by Michael Bihovsky
Advocacy, Healthcare, Politics Leave a Comment
Share On
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share on Google+
Share on Reddit
Share on Tumblr
Share on Pinterest

Dear Senator Toomey,

I am writing to you as a constituent with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), a debilitating connective tissue disorder. I run support groups for EDS, and have made hundreds of amazing inspiring friends over the years with all sorts of chronic illness, everything from lupus to cancer to cystic fibrosis to HIV. These people are my friends. They are my heroes. And if the AHCA passes the senate, they will die. Or at the very least, they will become utter prisoners to their own destructing bodies.

This is because many of them will be charged more for being sick – in many cases, their premiums will amount to more than they make in an entire year. As you can imagine, the work capacity for disabled Americans is much lower than the able public’s, and the vast majority of chronically ill people live in poverty. The AHCA targets these people with literally deadly precision. The block-grants proposed to fund high-risk pools for these people are laughably underfunded, and fly in the face of a fact that should be common sense: you can not have a separate insurance marketplace just for sick people. It will, by its very nature, self-destruct, and we will be its fatal victims.

Senator, you are a reasonable man. When you stood against most of your party to support commonsense gun legislation, I publicly applauded you. Please – I am genuinely begging you – show your bravery again. Vote against this travesty of a bill, and work instead to reform the current law in a way that genuinely brings down costs and makes healthcare better without being won on the backs of our most struggling citizens. You will have our respect, and our gratitude. And more importantly: you will have saved our lives.

Sincerely,
Michael Bihovsky

 

**

Dear readers: thank you for taking the time to read my letter. If you care about this pivotal issue, and have a Republican senator, I hope you will take the time to write to them as well. The stakes could not be higher.

Share On
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share on Google+
Share on Reddit
Share on Tumblr
Share on Pinterest
Michael Bihovsky
Connect on Facebook Connect on Twitter

Michael Bihovsky is a musical theater composer and performer, and an “invisible illness” advocate. He is best known for his viral YouTube video “One Grain More,” an award-winning musical parody of Les Miserables about the plight of the food allergy community. Michael has written the music, lyrics, and book for four original musicals, including the semi-autobiographical “Fresh!” which was presented Off-Broadway as a finalist in the “Scene It: New York” competition. Michael’s musicals, plays, and screenplays often revolve around themes relating to physical and mental illness. He has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), and facilitates EDS support groups in Philadelphia and New York City. Michael is also a recurring columnist for the Stanford Medical Journal’s SCOPE Project, and is currently writing a book titled “Live Because: The Philosophy of the Broken, and the Journey Toward Wholeness.”

 Previous Article Composition Premiere at the Kimmel Center!
Next Article   Thank you, Republicans, for the AHCA (note: heavy sarcasm)

Related Posts

  • RIP RBG – Champion for Women, Role Model for All

    Friday, September 18, 2020
  • The (Entirely Unnecessary) Cost of “Herd Immunity”

    Monday, August 31, 2020
  • Jewish Values: Supporting #BlackLivesMatter

    Wednesday, June 3, 2020
  • The Show Must Be Paused

    Tuesday, June 2, 2020

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Mailing List Sign-Up!

Recent Posts

  • RIP Herbert Kretzmer – You Dreamed a Dream, and Shared it With All of Us Saturday, October 17, 2020
  • RIP RBG – Champion for Women, Role Model for All Friday, September 18, 2020
  • RIP Major Van Winkle – The Master of Freestyle Wednesday, September 16, 2020
  • The (Entirely Unnecessary) Cost of “Herd Immunity” Monday, August 31, 2020
  • Jewish Values: Supporting #BlackLivesMatter Wednesday, June 3, 2020
  • The Show Must Be Paused Tuesday, June 2, 2020

Michael’s Favorite Posts

  • When Your Heroes Surpass Expectations (Amy Lee of Evanescence) Monday, November 6, 2017
  • Composition Premiere at the Kimmel Center! Wednesday, March 22, 2017
  • Rare Disease Day 2017: Reaction to EDS Video by AJ+ Tuesday, February 28, 2017
  • 5 Acting Tips to Nail Your College Musical Theater Audition (or any other audition) Tuesday, December 27, 2016
  • An Open Letter to My Beard Thursday, August 6, 2015
  • The Creation of “One Grain More” Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Categories

  • Adventures
  • Advocacy
  • Comedy
  • Entertainment
  • Favorites
  • Healthcare
  • New Creations
  • Politics
  • Recent
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Voice & Acting Studio

Michael on Twitter

© Michael Bihovsky . All rights reserved.