Joe Biden is one of 10 presidential candidates taking part in a Democratic debate Wednesday, July 31, at 8:00 p.m. ET on CNN. Ten others debated on Tuesday evening. He is the former Vice President of the United States. The views expressed are his own. View more opinion articles on CNN.

(CNN) A car accident that took the lives of my first wife and baby daughter just weeks after I was elected to the Senate for the first time badly injured my sons, Beau and Hunter, who were confined to hospital beds for weeks. At just 4 years old, Beau would turn to his brother in the hospital and say, "Hunt. Look at me, look at me. I love you." He was like that his entire life, up until his death in 2015, after a grueling battle with brain cancer.

Joe Biden

My family was fortunate enough to have health insurance. But there are so many families that have had losses as severe or worse than mine and who didn't have the incredible support or resources that I did. During both of these defining experiences in my life, I imagined what it must be like for the millions of moms and dads, and sons and daughters who are at their loved ones' bedsides worried about how they will be able to pay for the care they need.

This is personal for me. This is why I fight. I believe deeply that health care is a right for all -- not a privilege for the few.

Every American deserves the peace of mind that comes with knowing they have insurance that allows them access to affordable, high-quality health care. No one in this country should have to lay in bed at night staring at the ceiling wondering, "what will I do if she gets breast cancer?" or "if he has a heart attack?"

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You won't find peace of mind if you cannot afford to care for a sick child or a family member because of a pre-existing condition, because you've reached a point where your health insurer says, "no more" or because you have to make a decision between putting food on the table, and going to the doctor or getting a prescription filled. But before the Affordable Care Act, that was the reality for millions of Americans.