Former NH first lady warns of the risks Trump poses to your healthcare

Dr. Susan Lynch, former First Lady of New Hampshire and a retired pediatrician, is spearheading a new coalition to advocate for healthcare access in the upcoming presidential election.

As a leader of Granite State Healthcare Providers for Biden, Dr. Lynch hopes to “raise awareness and give people the facts they need to make a good decision” for what’s at stake in 2024 with regards to healthcare. A decades-long advocate for children’s health, Dr. Lynch said her experience showed her “how often I had seen [patients] particularly in pediatrics or seeing children and families, and they are among the most vulnerable, and we’d see them so often without insurance.”

In an interview, Dr. Lynch expressed alarm over Donald Trump’s ongoing efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act.

“Trump has made no secret of his brazen desire to repeal and gut health care protection, repeal the Affordable Care Act,” she said. “If successful, it could strip coverage from millions, including those with pre-existing conditions.”

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She said many people may not remember the state of healthcare before the ACA, when insurance providers were able to deny coverage for individuals for pre-existing conditions, and that the ACA’s protections for those with pre-existing conditions are a major policy difference between Biden and Trump.

“I think people almost forget that you could be denied for these major areas of coverage based on these pre-existing conditions. Absolutely. And the dramatic impact that could have on people’s financial lives, obviously.”

Dr. Lynch also warned of the threat to reproductive rights. She said restrictive abortion laws spreading in some states show “these things can and probably will happen under a Trump presidency.” The former First Lady said bluntly, “I don’t trust Trump to think or care about the average citizen in any way.”

She expressed alarm over statements former President Trump has made that he “wants to criminalize doctors who perform abortions, and prosecuting and punishing women who obtain them.”

As the coalition ramps up activities across New Hampshire ahead of 2024, Dr. Lynch aims to highlight the stark differences between Biden and Trump on issues of healthcare access, affordability, and personal medical autonomy that she believes are critically at stake in the election.