Gabrielle Union: Cancer Took My Friend, Don’t Play With Healthcare

Read her personal plea here

Gabrielle Union has never been one to mince her words: from speaking out about saving Planned Parenthood to revealing vivid details about her own personal experience of being raped, Union has established herself as one of the few celebrities willing to take a stand on a divisive issue.

In an exclusive opinion piece for HelloBeautiful, Union makes an impassioned plea to spare the Affordable Care Act, now under attack by politicians.

[ALSO READ: What Gabrielle Learned from Her Divorce]

Read some excerpts below:

"Nearly two years ago, I lost a close girlfriend to cancer. Diagnosed with stage 4 cancer at 32 years old, I remember thinking this wasn’t part of the plan. We were too young to worry about getting sick. In fact, we were supposed to be invincible.

Unfortunately, when Kristen was diagnosed she was on a health care plan that would not provide the care she needed for treatment....Every year millions of women just like Kristen face choices between treatment and paying their bills. The costs associated with healthy living cause many to put off screenings and other preventive care let alone the treatments that may follow a cancer diagnosis.

Now, thanks to the Affordable Care Act, women in Kristen’s position can be assured that their insurance plans will cover preventive care – including breast and cervical cancer screenings – without expensive co-pays or deductibles.

Meanwhile Mitt Romney and the other Republican candidates for president have committed to repealing the health care law if elected.... Rather than letting women make their own health care decisions, they would rather let employers make those decisions for you..."

Read the letter in it's entirety here.

[SUBSCRIBE TO LOOP 21 RSS FEED]