New Ad Featuring A One Year Old Nevada Boy Targets Senator Heller Over Health Care Repeal

MEDIA ADVISORY FOR: Tuesday, March 21, 2017
CONTACT: Madison Donzis | brett@unbendablemedia.com | (516) 841-1105

New Ad Featuring A One Year Old Nevada Boy Targets Senator Heller Over Health Care Repeal

Women’s Group Launches Ad Campaign With Homepage Takeover On Las Vegas Sun Homepage

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA — As the House prepares to vote on whether to strip away healthcare from millions of Americans, UltraViolet, a national women’s advocacy group, is launching an new video ad campaign in The Las Vegas Sun urging Nevada Senator Dean Heller to vote against repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and alerting Nevadans to place a call to Heller’s office urging him to vote no.

The ad features Reno residents Theresa Bohannan and Briant Gibb, the mother and father of a toddler, Dean, who was born with a congenital heart defect. They discuss how the Affordable Care Act has been a lifesaver for her son. In the video, Theresa and her spouse Briant argue that repealing the Affordable Care Act and replacing it with the Republican plan – the American Health Care Act – would be a disaster for their family, and other Nevada families, who rely on coverage from the ACA.

SEE THE AD HERE: https://youtu.be/MfHyUoia3RU

Nevada has nearly 300,000 residents who have received health insurance through the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion. Senator Dean Heller, one of the most vulnerable Republicans running in 2018, recently announced opposition to the current draft of the American Health Care Act, which could come before the Senate before the end of the month.However, Heller has not yet committed to voting no on repeal of the Affordable Care Act, and could support an amended bill. Theresa met with Sen. Heller in February at a luncheon in Carson City and shared her story of why the ACA is so vital to her and her family, along with sharing a photograph of Dean with the Senator.

Experts warn that the American Health Care Act may result in a loss of health insurance for millions of people and undermine protections for those with pre-existing conditions. Time gaps in insurance coverage would force many to pay large penalties over the next year, making quality coverage more difficult to attain. The legislation would also ban Medicaid patients from using their insurance at Planned Parenthood clinics and disallow individuals from using tax credits to purchase health insurance plans that cover abortion.

Shaunna Thomas, co-founder of UltraViolet, issued the following statement explaining UltraViolet’s opposition to the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, and the proposed replacement plan, the American Health Care Act:

“For years, the Republican Party has been trying to bring women back to a time before reproductive health care access and affordable health care coverage, and the GOP’s health care proposal would do just that and more. The American Health Care Act would cost hundreds of thousands of women their lives – by eliminating guaranteed coverage of cervical or breast cancer screening tests, abolishing comprehensive maternity care and domestic violence screenings or denying women access to birth control and emergency contraception. For women and their families, the tried-and-true benefits provided by the Affordable Care Act are non-negotiable. 

“The GOP healthcare plan is more than just an assault on women – it is the makings of a national healthcare crisis – one which kicks millions of people off health insurance plans. The American Health Care Act would make it impossible for states to continue medicaid expansion and set the stage for deep cuts to Medicaid funding for seniors, low-income families, and children. The plan would increase costs, make coverage less affordable, and undermine those with pre-existing conditions – all to give bonus tax cuts to the wealthiest American families.

“Repealing the Affordable Care Act and replacing it with the Republican plan isn’t a solution, it’s an impending crisis for millions of Americans who can’t afford to lose their healthcare.”

Read more stories from UltraViolet members who rely on the Affordable Care Act for health insurance coverage.  Each poster is available to talk to media about their stories: http://cantaffordtolose.com

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