With World Cancer Day just past (Feb. 4), what better time to draw attention to the important role health insurance coverage plays in the lives of those living with cancer?

I am a cancer survivor and my health insurance coverage is my lifeline. Access to timely treatment, affordable medications and regular screenings/doctor visits are essential and the reason why I am alive today.

As Sen. Susan Collins and members of Congress begin to debate repeal and replace options for the current health-care law, I am anxious for cancer patients, survivors and their families in Maine who are relying on marketplace plans for their coverage. Disruptions in care could be devastating for them. And the constant worry about how they might afford care in the future is an added stressor that no cancer patient needs. Any breaks in coverage could mean delayed care for cancer patients and dire consequences for their health.

Repealing the Affordable Care Act with no adequate and immediate replacement could destabilize the health-care market and create gaps in care for millions of cancer patients, survivors and those at risk for the disease.

It should be Sen. Collins’ priority to guarantee continuous access to meaningful health insurance coverage for cancer patients and their families in Maine. Anything less than that simply cannot be an option.

Janet Miles, Livermore