{{short description|American health care activist and political commentator}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2019}} {{Infobox person | pre-nominals = | name = | post-nominals = | image = Laura-Packard- 2020.jpg | alt = | caption = Packard in 2020 | native_name = | native_name_lang = | pronunciation = | birth_name = | birth_date = 1976 | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | education = University of Michigan (BS, Computer Science) | alma_mater = | occupation = Health care activist | years_active = | era = | employer = | organization = | known_for = Health Care Voices, Voices of Health Care Action, Health Care Voter | website = {{URL|www.laurapackard.com}} }}
'''Laura Packard''' (born 1976) is an American health care activist<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/16/us/politics/kamala-harris-pete-buttigieg-2020.html|title=Pete Buttigieg and Kamala Harris Have Made Waves. Some Progressives Remain Skeptical.|last=Epstein|first=Reid|work=New York Times|date=July 16, 2019}}</ref> and political commentator. She is the founder of Health Care Voices<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.msnbc.com/american-voices/watch/-healthcare-is-at-risk-the-impact-of-ruth-bader-ginsburg-s-death-on-everyday-americans-92143685956|title='Healthcare is at risk': The impact of Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death on everyday Americans|last=Menendez|first=Alicia|work=MSNBC|date=September 19, 2020}}</ref> and Voices of Health Care Action,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/laura-packard-on-the-health-nightmare-of-the/id1460720864?i=1000706320485|title=Laura Packard on the Health Nightmare of the Second Trump Regime|last=Milano|first=Alyssa|work=Sorry Not Sorry|date=May 5, 2025}}</ref> non-profit grassroots organizations for adults with serious medical conditions. Packard is executive director of the group Health Care Voter,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-pulse/2021/08/18/whats-driving-bidens-booster-plan-797220|title=What's driving Biden's booster plan|last=Cancryn|first=Adam|work=Politico|date=August 19, 2021}}</ref> with actress Alyssa Milano, singer T-Boz, politicians Donna Edwards and Anton Gunn, activists Ady Barkan and Brad Woodhouse, and others as co-chairs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://patriotnotpartisan.com/healthcare/health-care-voter-announces-six-new-campaign-co-chairs-ramps-ahead-2018-elections/|title=Health Care Voter announces Six new campaign co-chairs, ramps up ahead of 2018 elections|date=January 22, 2018|work=Patriot Not Partisan}}</ref> She hosts a weekly call-in streaming show and podcast for Americans with health care and health insurance questions, Care Talk.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://healthcarevoices.org/caretalk/|title=Care Talk|date=July 8, 2025|work=healthcarevoices.org}}</ref>
Packard was a featured speaker at the 2020 Democratic National Convention with Joe Biden, sharing her personal health care story.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.denverpost.com/2020/08/18/democratic-national-convention-laura-packard|title=Denver health care activist speaking at Democratic convention|last=Wingerter|first=Justin|work=Denver Post|date=August 18, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/08/19/four-issues-besides-coronavirus-that-democrats-are-hammering-their-convention/|title=Four issues besides coronavirus that Democrats are hammering at their convention|last=Phillips|first=Amber|newspaper=Washington Post|date=August 19, 2020}}</ref>
A self-employed small business owner<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/national-politics/the-race-2020/cancer-survivor-worried-politics-over-healthcare-will-bankrupt-or-cost-her-her-life|title=Cancer survivor worried politics over healthcare will bankrupt or cost her her life|last=Liacko|first=Alexa|work=ABC Denver 7|date=October 30, 2020}}</ref> in Nevada, she was diagnosed with stage-4 Hodgkin lymphoma in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.denverpost.com/2019/12/23/obamacare-saved-my-life-now-its-on-the-brink-of-destruction-aca-lawsuit-individual-mandate/|title=Obamacare saved my life, now its on the brink of destruction|last=Packard|first=Laura|work=Denver Post|date=December 23, 2019}}</ref> Believing that the Affordable Care Act saved her life<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/trump-republicans-health-care-plan-would-endanger-people-me-amid-ncna1240879|title=Trump and Republicans' health care 'plan' would endanger people like me amid Covid-19|last=Packard|first=Laura|work=NBC News|date=September 24, 2020}}</ref> and that without it she would be bankrupt or dead without the care she received through her insurance,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2020/03/22/obamacare-10th-anniversary-cancer-survivor-column/2879844001/|title=I'd be bankrupt or dead without the Affordable Care Act. We're both survivors — so far.|last=Packard|first=Laura|work=USA Today|date=March 22, 2020}}</ref> Packard became an outspoken critic of repeal attempts. Her sharp questioning led United States Senator Dean Heller to eject her from a public event,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/woman-says-she-was-asked-to-leave-after-asking-sen-heller-health-care-question/2017/12/04/9e651488-d933-11e7-a241-0848315642d0_video.html|title=Woman says she was asked to leave after asking Sen. Heller health-care question|newspaper=Washington Post|date=December 4, 2017}}</ref> and her criticism of President Donald Trump resulted in him blocking her on Twitter.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newsweek.com/trump-just-blocked-woman-stage-4-cancer-twitter-she-has-message-him-668459|title=Trump Twitter-Blocked a Woman with Stage 4 Cancer — And She Has a Message for Him|last=Hayes|first=Christal|work=Newsweek|date=September 20, 2017}}</ref> A 2018 lawsuit, Knight First Amendment Institute v. Trump, forced President Donald Trump to reinstate her access to his social media accounts, along with that of 40 others.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mashable.com/article/trump-unblocks-twitter-accounts/#MQCyvVBwImqV|title=President Trump forced to unblock dozens of Twitter users after court ruling|last=Binder|first=Matt|work=Mashable|date=August 29, 2018}}</ref>
Packard spoke on six national bus tours with progressive health care advocacy organization Protect Our Care in 2018,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.protectourcare.org/health-care-activist-laura-packard-to-join-protect-our-cares-bus-tour/|title=Health Care Activist Laura Packard to Join Protect Our Care's Bus Tour|date=September 11, 2018|work=Protect Our Care}}</ref> 2019,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.protectourcare.org/next-week-protect-our-care-health-care-emergency-bus-tour-kicks-off-with-stops-in-nevada-arizona-new-mexico-and-colorado/|title=THIS WEEK: Protect Our Care "Health Care Emergency" Bus Tour Kicks Off With Stops in Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado|date=August 1, 2019|work=Protect Our Care}}</ref> 2021,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wabi.tv/2021/08/09/protect-our-care-bus-tour-advocates-better-affordable-healthcare/|title='Protect Our Care' bus tour advocates for better, affordable healthcare|date=August 9, 2021|work=WABI|last=Roberts|first=Spencer}}</ref> 2022,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.foxbangor.com/news/item/lower-cost-better-care-bus-tour-kicks-off-in-bangor/|title="Lower Cost Better Care" bus tour kicks off in Bangor|date=October 3, 2022|work=Fox 22 Bangor|last=Douglas|first=AJ}}</ref> 2023,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2023/08/16/expanding-affordable-health-care-in-wisconsin/|title=Expanding affordable health care in Wisconsin|date=August 16, 2023|work=Wisconsin Examiner}}</ref> and 2024,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://virginiamercury.com/briefs/national-bus-tour-stops-in-va-boosts-democrats-promise-to-protect-aca-inflation-reduction-act/|title=National bus tour stops in Va., boosts Democrats’ promise to protect ACA, Inflation Reduction Act|date=October 7, 2024|work=Virginia Mercury|last=Woods|first=Charlotte Rene}}</ref> and a national bus tour with advocacy organization Courage for America on the debt ceiling crisis in 2023.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/back-off-our-benefits-campaign-travels-through-durango/|title='Back Off Our Benefits' campaign travels through Durango|date=April 3, 2023|work=Durango Herald|last=Brown|first=Tyler}}</ref>
Moving to Colorado in 2019,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.coloradoindependent.com/2019/03/29/guest-post-trump-is-trying-to-kill-the-legislation-that-saved-my-life/|title=Trump is trying to kill the legislation that saved my life|date=March 29, 2019|work=Colorado Independent}}</ref> her political advocacy broadened to include challenges to United States Senator Cory Gardner’s community engagement, and she went on a statewide bus tour with “Cardboard Cory” to accentuate his purported inaccessibility.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/cardboard-cory-gardner-town-hall-colorado_n_5d5d5365e4b0d043dd73c83f|title=A Cardboard Cutout Of Sen. Cory Gardner Just Wrapped Up A Statewide Bus Tour|last=Grenoble|first=Ryan|work=Huffington Post|date=August 26, 2019}}</ref> She also challenged United States Representative Lauren Boebert's health care record.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://coloradonewsline.com/2021/05/22/lauren-boebert-cares-most-about-lauren-boebert-not-coloradans-like-me/|title=Lauren Boebert cares most about Lauren Boebert, not Coloradans like me|last=Packard|first=Laura|work=Colorado Newsline|date=May 22, 2021}}</ref> and was blocked by Boebert on Twitter<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://progressive.org/op-eds/the-gops-cancel-culture-warriors-packard-220217/|title=The GOP's Cancel Culture Warriors|last=Packard|first=Laura|work=The Progressive|date=February 17, 2022}}</ref> in February 2022.
In 2018, Packard was noted for her outspoken opposition to the nomination of Justice Brett Kavanaugh.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/with-trumps-nominee-announced-the-battle-for-the-court-begins/2018/07/09/8035b2e0-83a3-11e8-9e80-403a221946a7_story.html|title=With Trump's nominee announced, the battle for the court begins|last=Scherer|first=Michael|newspaper=Washington Post|date=July 9, 2018}}</ref> She was included again in media coverage for her 2020 opposition to the nomination of Justice Amy Coney Barrett.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/oct/02/amy-coney-barrett-affordable-care-act-obamacare|title=Fears for Obamacare if Amy Coney Barrett confirmed to supreme court|last=Holpuch|first=Amanda|work=The Guardian|date=October 2, 2020}}</ref>
==External links== *{{C-SPAN|127228}}
==References== {{reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Packard, Laura}} Category:Living people Category:People from Virginia Category:American activists Category:1976 births Category:University of Michigan alumni