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East County News Service
January 25, 2017 (Philadelphia) -- On Thursday, January 26th, as Donald Trump meets with Republican Congressional leaders at the Loews Hotel in Philadelphia debating how to repeal the Affordable Care Act, UltraViolet, a national women’s advocacy organization, will fly a plane banner over the meeting reading: “Fox Poll: ACA More Popular Than Trump.”
UltraViolet’s plane cites a new poll from Fox News that found that 50 percent of voters feel favorably about the Affordable Care Act. The same poll found that only 42 percent of American voters feel favorably about President Trump.
“We know that Trump is a narcissist. So we are sending him and the GOP a loud and clear message --- Obamacare is more popular than you. We’re sure he’ll love that,” said Shaunna Thomas, co-founder of Ultraviolet.
Many Americans have mixed views on the ACA, also called Obamacare, supporting some provisions but seeking reforms, not repeal, to resolve issues. The program that provided insurance to 20 million Americans who lacked health insurance before. The ACA had been blamed for Aetna pulling out of the healthcare market, but in a court case this week, a judge concluded that Aetna lied and the real reason for its withdrawal related to its attempted merger with Humana. Critics have called for higher reimbursements for doctors and lower premiums for middle income earners on the ACA.
The Republican Senate has already voted to begin repealing the ACA but has not passed nor disclosed any detailed replacement plan. When pressed, GOP leaders have said any plan should allow “access” to healthcare for those who can afford it.
Liberals have called for guaranteed healthcare for all, while some conservatives want to revert to a market-based healthcare system but without guarantees such as not losing coverage due to preexisting conditions.
“Make no mistake - repealing the Affordable Care Act would literally cost thousands of women their lives. Whether it was the ACA’s guaranteed coverage of screening tests for cervical or breast cancer, comprehensive maternity care, domestic violence counseling or access to birth control and emergency contraception - for millions of American women the real health care benefits provided by this law are not negotiable,” continued Thomas. “Nearly 30 million Americans rely on the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid expansion for insurance - and because of the law, we now have the lowest uninsured rate in US history. President Trump and Congressional Republicans want to take us back to a time where women paid more for health insurance and millions of Americans died unable to afford care. We will not let that happen.”
UltraViolet members will also join the thousands of people rallying outside the Loews Hotel to protest President Trump and his plans to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
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