I, like many other young people who suffer from medical conditions, am forever grateful to President Obama for signing this act into law.
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WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 28: Obamacare supporters demonstrate in front of the U.S. Supreme Court June 28, 2012 in Washington, DC. The Supreme Court is expected to hand down its ruling on the Affordable Healthcare Act this morning. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 28: Obamacare supporters demonstrate in front of the U.S. Supreme Court June 28, 2012 in Washington, DC. The Supreme Court is expected to hand down its ruling on the Affordable Healthcare Act this morning. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

When I watch commentators debate about whether or not ObamaCare should be repealed, I sometimes can't help but feel like these individuals are only thinking about politics, rather than about the many people who have been benefited by this bill. This is why I felt compelled to write this blog.

As many readers know from my previous blogs for the Huffington Post, I began suffering from a poorly understood chronic illness at age 11. My condition requires me to have frequent surgeries, treatments and doctor appointments. I have undergone more than 20 surgeries in the last six years and I have endured more pain than I ever knew I could bear. Since my condition is very poorly understood, I have to be treated at particular hospitals, such as the University of Chicago Medical Center and the Mayo Clinic. I honestly don't know where I would be without these hospitals and I am so thankful for all they've done for me.

I have been raised by a single father and I've been very fortunate that his health insurance plan has allowed me to receive the treatment I need. After the onset of my health problems, my dad and I had to constantly worry about what would happen when I could no longer stay on my his health insurance plan. It would have been very difficult, if not impossible, for me to get coverage because of my many surgical procedures and pre-existing condition. Would I be able to continue treatments? Would I have to take out a great deal of money in loans to try to pay for my surgeries? These are just two of the many unanswered questions that ran through my mind constantly.

However, everything changed when President Obama signed the Affordable Health Care Act, more commonly known has ObamaCare, into law. For my friends and classmates, the passage of this bill was merely a political issue, but for me it one of the best things that has ever happened to me. As a result of ObamaCare, I will be able to stay on my dad's health insurance plan until age 26 and won't be denied coverage because of my pre-existing condition.

As I grow into adulthood, I can focus on my health and my future rather than having to consume my energy with trying to get health insurance. My story of how ObamaCare has impacted my life is the story of so many other teenagers and young people across America -- whether it's a graduating high school student with cancer or a young person with Cystic Fibrosis. Without ObamaCare, many young people who need life-saving treatment may not have been able to get it. I, like many other young people who suffer from medical conditions, am forever grateful to President Obama for signing this act into law.

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