Local reaction on new proposed healthcare act
In Santa Maria, people had mixed feelings about the amending of Obamacare. Healthcare – it’s the hot topic around the country and here in Santa Maria.
The Affordable Care Act..nicknamed – and better known as “Obamacare” – is getting closer to seeing some changes.
It would now be called “The American Health Care Act” and the biggest change is that it would eliminate the requirement that all Americans must get healthcare coverage or pay a tax penalty – come tax time.
“I don’t think it’s fair at all, I think it should be choice,” Santa Maria resident Joshua Luna said.
Joshua Luna says with the Affordable Care Act, some people have had to decide between food on the table or paying for health insurance.
“Unless you want to pay the fine and go without health insurance then if you want health insurance and you don’t get it through your employer then that’s a pretty big price to pay,” Luna said.
The new Act would also eliminate the requirement that businesses with 50 or more employees must offer their employees health insurance.
Several things would remain the same though, like allowing people who are 26-years-old and younger, like college students like Luna, to remain on their parent’s health insurance plan.
“I’ve been lucky to have insurance but I do know people who just can’t afford those premiums and they just got slapped during tax season.. and it’s just not right,” Luna said.
The new Act would still protect people with pre-existing conditions but some people I talked to say Obamacare is fine the way it is.
“What they’re proposing is going to hurt a lot of people, I really think all the low-income people are going to be taken off, they’re going to eliminate the Medicaid, or try to, they’re going to give back to the states that don’t care about their people,” Peggy Rhoads said.
The new healthcare act is close to passing – something Peggy Rhoads is not happy about.
“The Affordable Care Act, they say it’s dying a slow death, I think they can fix it, but they won’t.. because it’s got Obama’s name on it,” Rhoads said.
