CNN: Rep. Gwen Moore says she is in remission from cancer
Tuesday,
January 29, 2019
CNN - Rep. Gwen Moore said Tuesday she is in remission from small cell lymphoma, making the announcement to colleagues Tuesday during the first meeting of the House Ways and Means committee.
Katie Bernard
CNN Rep. Gwen Moore said Tuesday she is in remission from small cell lymphoma, making the announcement to colleagues Tuesday during the first meeting of the House Ways and Means committee. The Wisconsin Democrat, who is a new member of the committee, said she was diagnosed with the disease 10 months ago. "This is a cancer I will live with for the rest of my life but because of my high quality health care and insurance coverage, it is not a cancer I will die from," Moore said in a news release. The announcement came during the committee's hearing on protections for patients with pre-existing conditions. Without insurance, Moore's medicine would cost her about $15,000 per month, her press secretary Libbie Wilcox told CNN. These costs are inspiring Moore to use herself as an example of the importance of health care protections for those with pre-existing conditions. "When she was sitting in the hospital bed undergoing chemo, she was thinking, 'What would this be for people who didn't have coverage?'" Wilcox said. During that time Moore's focus on health care and her desire to bring back the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate "quadrupled," Wilcox said. The mandate, which required all Americans to purchase health insurance or pay a tax penalty, was repealed as part of the GOP-backed tax plan in 2017. At Tuesday's meeting, Moore asked her colleagues to ensure health care protections. "I am announcing my remission today to remind everyone on this committee that I am a living example of the lifesaving value of essential health benefits," Moore said. "For my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren that is a cost worth paying." To read online, click here |
