Katie Phang

occurred.

Things like vaccinations, sick care and nutrition, water and sanitation.

What I have witnessed over the last year here in the United States is the impact of the current administration's added burden on families in terms of stresses, in terms of fears, and in terms of costs.

People struggle with greater uncertainty, more fear, more red tape, more bureaucracy.

Their care is fragmented.

Children miss well child visits, vaccinations, and routine care.

things that are wanted by their parents and deemed necessary by vetted science and best practices.

Families struggle deciding the right place and the right time for healthcare, whether they should take their wheezing child to a grocery store clinic, urgent care clinic, their doctor's office, hospital emergency department, or sadly too often,

They are dealing with these issues at home alone without any help.

We shouldn't have to have a doctor or nurse in our family to be able to navigate the complexities of Medicaid, Medicare, or our health plans.

with the administration's health confusion tax.

Thank you.

Hey, I'm Alice.

My artist's name is Melting Virgo.

And I find myself here on stage tonight because my health care that I purchased through the Maryland Exchange went from $28 a month to $248 a month.

Last fall, before the federal subsidies were cut, I was beginning to look into buying my first home that could double as a lesson studio, but that is just not a viable option anymore.

But let me rewind.

I earned my master's degree in energy and environmental public policy from the University of Maryland, College Park, go Terps.

So naturally, I ended up becoming a self-employed piano and voice teacher.

Since I work on the weekend and during after-school hours, I spend a lot of time advocating for these policies that I care so much about.