On Tuesday, Feb. 4, President Donald Trump gave his annual State of the Union speech. Marked by what was, at the time, an ongoing impeachment trial, it almost seemed the president was trying to cover up some of the inconsistencies that his administration has been accused of. 

Controversy was also present. While Trump did not shake Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s hand when handing her his speech’s hard copy, the president’s affiliates pretended that nothing was wrong there, but made a huge deal out of the fact that Pelosi tore the speech outline apart during the aftermath of the address. 

Focusing on the address itself, some of the topics mentioned during it were education, veterans, immigration—focusing on illegal immigration, of course—and new laws on sanctuary cities and states, such as New York.

However, one of the topics that personally stood out the most was that of medical care. As it relates to the cost itself, the president stated that they will keep working to lower the costs for patients living with pre-existing conditions, which seems very unlikely based on the costs resulting from his administration’s latest policies on healthcare. Rather than going down, medical costs seem to be going the way of college tuition. They just keep going up.

Trump’s new health plan intends to abolish the Affordable Care Act, which actually did reduce medical costs for patients with pre-existing conditions. 

For myself, living with a medical condition called hydrocephalus, which essentially translates to water on the brain, no one ever knows when it will be time for the next brain surgery. Taking this into account, because it was an at-birth diagnosis, a patient impacted by such a condition should not be responsible for assuming those exorbitant health costs.

Not all insurances cover procedures that may save the life of a patient with a pre-existing condition. For example, if one needs brain surgery, MRI’s and CAT scans they are only somewhat covered. The only option through Excellus, a major insurance provider in the U.S., may be a silver plan, resulting in something that only a few pockets can afford.

Just like hydrocephalus, there are many conditions out there that affect many patients. Patients who should not be held responsible for their progressively worsening health care costs.

Taking into account Trump’s address and stated goals, maybe his administration should consider advocating for the millions of United States citizens impacted by each of these new regulations, rather than furthering the gap between the most privileged and the diminishing middle class.

Photo via Flickr