Author

Laura Packard

Laura Packard

Laura Packard is a small business owner and stage 4 cancer survivor, and founder of Health Care Voices. She hosts CareTalk, a weekly consumer call-in show on health care and health insurance issues in America on Mondays at 4:30pm ET.

COMMENTARY

Republicans in Congress, stop playing politics with our livelihoods

By: - April 27, 2023

I’ve been on a coast to coast on a bus trip this spring, telling my personal story with Courage for America. We’re calling on extreme members of the Republican House majority across the nation to sign a promise to protect the essential benefits Americans rely on. Our message to MAGA Republicans who are acting without […]

COMMENTARY

Affordable Care Act at 13: forward not back

By: - March 23, 2023

Thirteen years ago, the Affordable Care Act was signed into law. And about five years ago, my oncologist told me my stage 4 cancer was in remission. As a small business owner, my health insurance is through the Affordable Care Act. So these two dates are inexorably linked in my mind: The insurance which paid […]

COMMENTARY

Health insurance just might save you — sign up for MNsure by Jan. 15.

By: - January 10, 2023

If you don’t have health insurance — or just want to explore your options — go to healthcare.gov on or before January 15th to get covered with affordable health insurance now. Having and keeping good quality affordable health care is personal for me. The Affordable Care Act saved my life. In 2017, I walked into […]

COMMENTARY

Health care was also on the ballot, and health care won

By: - December 14, 2022

In November, millions of voters in red, blue and purple states voted on the future of our health care directly on the ballot. And U.S. Sen. Warnock ran his re-election campaign and run-off on health care. Health care won decisively. Voters decided to expand Medicaid in South Dakota, meaning more than 40,000 low-income South Dakotans […]

COMMENTARY

Lives hang in the balance as time runs out for action on health insurance

By: - July 27, 2022

Five years ago I was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Yet I’m the lucky one. I could afford to get treatment. Too many people in America don’t have the health care they need, even today. The 2021 American Rescue Plan included subsidies to make health insurance more affordable than ever, resulting in a record-breaking […]