Montclair Man’s Story Highlights Need For Obamacare: Congressman

MONTCLAIR, NJ — For an example of how the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has helped struggling New Jersey residents, people can turn to the story of a Montclair man, a state lawmaker says.

In the wake of concerns about Republican efforts to repeal the ACA – otherwise known as “Obamacare” – U.S. Congressman Donald Payne Jr. (NJ-10) shared the story of “Paul,” a Montclair resident who depends on Obamacare to help him with his battle against bladder cancer, HIV and severe depression.

Speaking on the House floor, Payne Jr. said that if President-elect Donald Trump manages to lead an effort to repeal Obamacare, it will “Make America Sick Again.”

• See related article: Donald Trump Pushes for Immediate Repeal, Quick Replacement of Obamacare

According to Payne Jr.:

“[Paul] told us that he is scared, like most people who rely on the Affordable Care Act, because Republicans are determined to gut the legislation. He told us that he depends on the ACA for his medications and treatments, without which, he fears, he will die.

“Paul lives on an unstable income, and it’s only because of the ACA that he is able to afford his treatments… He is rightly concerned about whether he will be able to afford his next urologist appointment, and about what will happen if he can no longer pay for his depression medication.

“Now, Paul told us this was the first time he publicly announced his medical conditions, because he wants people to see the human face on the problem of ACA repeal. He wants people to know that the ACA is keeping people alive.”

• See related article: These N.J. Towns, Workers Could Be Impacted Most By Trump Obamacare Repeal, Study Claims

“Over 20 million people depend on the ACA,” Payne Jr. emphasized. “They are not empty numbers; they’re real people who deserve affordable, quality health coverage. ACA repeal would strip them of this coverage and make it impossible for them to get the care they need.”

• See related article: Montclair Op-Ed: President Trump and Health Insurance in 2017

Watch a video of Payne’s speech below.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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