Letters: Changing ‘pre-existing conditions’ costs everyone

It is essential that health insurance be available and affordable for all, regardless of pre-existing conditions. Unaffordable insurance is the same as no insurance.

The American Diabetes Association estimates that more than 29 million adults in America have diabetes and 86 million adults have pre-diabetes. Changes that make health insurance harder to get could put affordable coverage out of reach for these Americans and drive up the already-enormous direct and indirect costs of diabetes to states, the federal government and the American economy in general — costs that are mitigated through health insurance coverage for diabetes prevention and care.

As s former chair of the American Diabetes Association national board of directors and a member of the National Diabetes Volunteer Leadership Council, I urge Congress to maintain the availability of affordable health insurance for people with pre-existing conditions.