Benicia resident and health care advocate Andrew Blackshear attended the State of the Union address as Rep. Mike Thompson’s 5th District guest.

(This article originally appeared in the Feb. 7 print edition of the Herald)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Benicia resident Andrew Blackshear, a health care advocate living with a pre-existing condition was selected by Rep. Mike Thompson to be his guest at the 2020 State of the Union on Tue. night.

Each year for the State of the Union address, members of Congress can offer one ticket to a guest of their choosing. These slots are often used to highlight issues of importance to the American people.

Blackshear suffered from a health scare in 2015 that required two emergency surgeries, including open-heart surgery. The Affordable Care Act allowed him to purchase insurance and live without medical debt, despite his pre-existing condition. Blackshear’s story highlights the need for protections for Americans like him who live with pre-existing conditions.

“I am honored to have Andrew join me for this year’s State of the Union and highlight the need for protections for patients with pre-existing conditions. He has turned his health scare and pre-existing condition into vital advocacy for patients like him, educating policy makers about the realities of living with this kind of medical condition,” said Thompson, a senior member of the House Ways and Subcommittee on Health. “Andrew’s story is just one of many that demonstrates the value of the Affordable Care Act, legislation that allows him to purchase affordable medical coverage. We must all continue fighting against attempts to undo the ACA and the essential protections it provides for millions of Americans.”

Blackshear is a patient and volunteer for the American Heart Association who has advocated for the importance of protections for patients with pre-existing conditions.

“I, along with millions of Americans have felt the extreme lack of care inside of our healthcare system,” said Blackshear. “Our government holds the power to provide the changes that we need, and we need their support to make this system start working for us.”

While Thompson noted he was glad to hear President Trump express some willingness to work in a bipartisan way on improving access to quality affordable health care and improving the nation’s infrastructure, he said, “the devil is in the details.”

“We have already seen that this President and his Administration are more focused on tearing down the Affordable Care Act and undoing the positive progress we have made under that law. The Administration has worked at every turn to take away protections for patients with pre-existing conditions,” said Thompson. “Notwithstanding the President’s efforts to do away with these vital pre-existing conditions protections, I will continue my fight to improve the lives of people in our district and across our nation.”

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