If you weren’t painfully aware, voting is under way throughout the country. Here’s how your vote impacts the cystic fibrosis community—and the countless other humans navigating medical issues. Please keep these things in mind when you vote.

• Medicaid: Half of children with CF and a third of adults with CF rely on Medicaid to afford the necessary healthcare. Unfortunately, federal lawmakers made changes last year that restrict Medicaid access and place additional burdens on enrollees. The CFF opposes policies that disrupt or eliminate access to Medicaid for people with CF, jeopardizing access to essential healthcare. YES to supporting Medicaid.
  
• Private Health Insurance: Health insurance is a must-have for CF patients who aren’t enrolled in Medicaid. A complex disease like CF makes it difficult to work full time, so patients with CF need affordable options through the marketplace (ACA / “Obamacare” for the haters). When Congress failed to extend the Enhanced Advanced Premium Tax Credits (eAPTC) in 2025, health insurance became inaccessible for many people. The CFF supports strengthening Affordable Care Act (ACA) protections and opposes noncomprehensive insurance options. YES to keeping/building upon the ACA.
  
• Supporting CF Research: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have been critical to CF research and therapy development. The CFF credits the NIH and FDA with bringing patients more than a dozen CF treatments that have, in turn, increased the life expectancy. The current administration has attempted to make budget cuts that will impede the progress toward a cure. The CFF advocates robust funding for these agencies, ensuring they have the staffing and resources they need. YES to science.

So, there you have it.

If you aren’t sure where candidates stand on these issues, I’m happy to help research for you. (ChatGPT isn’t a reliable source, FYI.)

The past year has been full of health challenges. In addition to navigating life with complex medical needs, I encounter daily obstacles because of our broken “healthcare” system. Though it’s impossible to run the numbers, I can confidently say that my chance of dying at the mercy of our healthcare system is greater than any threat posed by the national debt or international gangs.

Please consider this when you vote. If not for me, then for the countless others who fight similar battles. And remember: A life-changing diagnosis can come at any time.

P.S. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation makes it super easy to contact your representatives about issues pertinent to CF. You can even sign up to get Action Alerts.

P.P.S. I am not an employee of the CFF. The views expressed here are my own, and the links provide additional information directly from the CFF.