The individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act hasn’t been popular. People on the edge, who can already barely make ends meet, feel like they are being penalized if they don’t purchase insurance they can’t really afford.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have discussed strategies to correct this, and something must be done to change the healthcare law as it currently exists. But one thing that must not be done when the ACA is overhauled is to remove the Medicaid expansion.

While current plans from the House Republicans would phase out the Medicaid expansion over time, both Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Senate are taking a stand against this plan. Rob Portman, a Republican, and Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, have both spoken out against the House backed plan.

So has John Kasich, Ohio’s Republican governor.

This isn’t a partisan squabble. It’s about doing what is right for the most impoverished among us. It’s about making sure that those with mental health conditions can continue getting the treatment they have started to receive under the ACA. It’s about making sure that those in addiction recovery can continue their journey, and meet their goal of becoming productive and contributing members of society.

The Medicaid expansion enacted under the ACA must be left alone. In the long run, not only is it better for our society, it makes more economic sense. Catching diseases and illness early keeps costs down over time. Treating those who might otherwise avoid treatment due to costs helps ensure we have fewer contagious people spreading flu germs, among others, in public places. And getting people well, so that they can work jobs and contribute to the tax base, helps us all.

The ACA wasn’t perfect. It needs some tweaking. But the Medicaid expansion is one area that has worked, and we should leave well enough alone.