Cancer survivors insured through ObamaCare to attend SOTU

A two-time breast cancer survivor and a mom who recently underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor will be among the guests at the president’s State of the Union on Tuesday — his first address since millions of people gained insurance coverage under ObamaCare last year.

First lady Michelle Obama announced Monday that she will watch the address alongside a 39-year-old North Carolina woman named Astrid Muhammad, who recently underwent surgery for a potentially deadly brain tumor.

Muhammad was first diagnosed in summer 2013 but had skipped treatment until she became insured last year, according to the White House. She wrote to the president in October ”thanking him for passing the Affordable Care Act,” according to a statement.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who leads the Senate Democrats’ campaign to promote the Affordable Care Act, announced Friday that he will host two-time breast cancer survivor Susie Clayton who says her “entire survivorship” depended on new benefits under the healthcare law.

“Susie has been through hell and back to get and keep affordable health care coverage as a cancer survivor,” Murphy said in the release. “But now, her nightmare is over and she’s on a plan that she and her family can afford.”

Clayton, who lives in North Canaan, Conn., said before the law, her healthcare coverage was always uncertain.

“My entire survivorship depended on my being able to maintain and afford good coverage. We were slowly losing the battle, depleting our savings, our retirement funds, just to maintain coverage. That is, until the Affordable Care Act.”

The first lady will also host a Kansas City, Mo., man named Victor Fugate, whose works for the state health department and “sees firsthand how the Affordable Care Act is helping people’s lives,” according to the White House.

Fugate has also gotten help from ObamaCare himself: He bought coverage for himself using the government website after he was laid off from another job.

The focus on the healthcare law’s success stories comes weeks into the GOP-controlled Congress that has promised renewed attacks against the law.

“I’m proud to be a vocal champion of the Affordable Care Act and I won’t back down from efforts to sabotage these advancements to protect and expand access to quality care,” Murphy said.