Elation and anger after ‘Trump-care’ Bill withdrawn
NEW YORK: Some Americans breathed a sigh of relief, others bubbled with frustration, and nearly all resigned themselves to the prospect that the latest chapter in the never-ending national debate over healthcare would not be the last.
The withdrawal of the Republicansponsored health Bill in the face of likely defeat on Friday in the US House seemed to ensure that the deep divisions over the Affordable Care Act and its possible replacement will continue to simmer.
As news spread, Americans fell into familiar camps, either happy to see a Democratic effort live another day, or eager to see Republicans regroup and follow through with their “repeal Obamacare” promises.
“Yessssss,” an elated 27-year-old artist, Alysa Diebolt of Michigan, typed on Facebook in response to the news, saying she was relieved those she knows on Affordable Care Act plans won’t lose their coverage.
“I’m excited, I think it’s a good thing,” she said.
Millions more shared her view on Twitter on Friday afternoon. Among those who have long sought to see Obama’s health law dismantled, though, there was disappointment or chin-up resolve that they still could prevail.
“Hopefully they’ll get it right next time,” said Anthony Canamucio, the 50-year-old owner of a barbershop in Pennsylvania.
He gave his vote to Trump in November and wanted to see Obama’s health law repealed, but found himself rooting for the GOP replacement Bill to fail.
He is insured through his wife’s employer, and laments the growing deductibles and out-of-pocket costs, blaming Obama’s law even as health economists say those trends in employer-provided health coverage preceded the legislation.
For Canamucio, the Republicans’ Bill didn’t go far enough. But he remains steadfast behind Trump and said he believes the president will still deliver.
But it remained far more than a petty political debate, though, and some like Janella Williams, framed the issue as a question of life and death.
The 45-year-old graphic designer from Lawrence, Kansas, spent Friday in the hospital hooked up to an intravenous drip for a neurological disorder, getting the drugs that she says allow her to walk.
Under her Affordable Care Act plan, she pays US$480 (RM2,124) a month for coverage and has an outof-pocket maximum of US$3,500 (RM15,489) a year. If she were to lose it, she wouldn’t be able to afford the US$13,000 (RM57,531)-ayear out-of-pocket maximum under her husband’s insurance. Her treatments cost about US$90,000 (RM398,295) every seven weeks.
As she followed the efforts to undo Obama’s law, Williams found herself yelling at the TV a lot. She wrote her senators, telling how she felt “helpless and out of control,” and how her hope was dwindling.
After watching the coverage while tethered to a port in an outpatient area, she said when the Bill was withdrawn, “I am thankful. I hope that this makes Trump the earliest lame duck ever.”
Yessssss. I’m excited, I think it’s a good thing.
Alysa Diebolt