This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
I have excellent individual health insurance. But because of my $1,000 deductible, and I felt so great, I neglected seeing my doctor for yearly physicals. Then I read that preventative medicine, including the annual physical, was now covered because of President Obama's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, so I made an appointment.
During the examination, my doctor became suspicious of the way my thyroid felt and ordered more tests. A biopsy confirmed cancer.
During the operation, they removed the thyroid and discovered that the cancer had spread to my lymph nodes, so they removed them, too. I'm feeling great now, but I'm not out of the water.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states that in 2011 "the Affordable Care Act provided approximately 54 million Americans with at least one new free preventive service."
When Republicans ask, "Are you better off with Obama?" My answer is yes! I'm still alive.
Thomas Saul
Salt Lake City