Manheim-area resident Stacie Ritter said she's "fired up and ready to go" to tell everyone how important America's new health care rights are to people such as her — and how important they are to her twin daughters, now 12, who had to overcome leukemia at age 4.

Ritter testified Tuesday in Washington, D.C., at a hearing on health care reform sponsored by the U.S. House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee.

"It is important that more people become aware of how critical these new rights and protections are to so many of us," she testified.

'We ended up bankrupt, even with full insurance coverage," she told the congressional committee.

So, to Ritter, "nothing is more important in the promotion of strong family values than the protection of the health of our children."

Ritter and her husband Ben's twin daughters, Hannah and Madeline, endured long and difficult treatments, including stem-cell transplants, that "saved their lives — but at great cost to our family," the 36-year-old Ritter explained to the Democratic panel.

Ritter was one of seven Americans facing a variety of health and insurance challenges who testified before the committee on the importance of the Affordable Care Act.

The Democratic panel held the hearing ahead of Republican-led congressional efforts to repeal health care legislation.

Meanwhile, in advance of an expected vote in the U.S. House on repealing the law, Lancaster Chamber of Commerce & Industry has taken a formal position supporting the law's repeal.

"The Chamber has been a consistent advocate for health care reform, and we believe the 'repeal vote' represents a unique opportunity to engage in a robust dialogue on the challenges with the reform law," a Chamber news release sent out Tuesday states.

"Health care and health-insurance costs are consistently identified as a top-priority concern" in surveys of its members, the Chamber noted.

Last year, the organization expressed concerns about the Affordable Care Act, and now, "We support the repeal, and ask legislators to consider (suggested) pro-business reforms."

Ritter, who became an activist in 2009 with Health Care For America Now, a national grass-roots campaign, spoke of the inadequate and overly expensive health insurance she had when her daughters became ill.

"Our new health care rights and freedoms really address what people like us need. Our lives would have been much easier had we had them when my kids first became sick," Ritter, a Lancaster County Democratic Committee member, said.

"I remain convinced that if Americans could just hear my story and understand why these rights and protections are so important to millions of their fellow citizens, they would oppose patients' rights repeal legislation."

Her twin daughters accompanied Ritter to Tuesday's hearing, which was chaired by Reps. George Miller of California and Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut.

doconnor@lnpnews.com