'Rally To Save Health Care' Scheduled for Southampton

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — Days before Donald Trump's inauguration, East End residents are joining together to raise their voices in a "Rally to Save Health Care" in Southampton.

The event is part of a national day of action to save the Affordable Health Care Act; Dem leaders and Bernie Sanders have called for the nationwide effort, #OurFirstStand.

Locally, the group East End Resistors is hosting the Rally to Save Health Care, which will take place Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Stony Brook Southampton Campus, at the corner of Montauk Highway and Little Neck Road.

Joyce Roper, along with Anne Hastings, is a founding member of East End Resistors — both were involved with Organizing For Action early on, in the fight to pass affordable health care, presenting workshops on enrollment and providing resources to assist people in finding navigators, she said.

East End Resistors, Roper said, "is an organization that was formed with the idea of uniting progressive groups on and around both Forks of the East End, to stand as concerned citizens and resist attacks on our democracy, our free press and free speech."

She added that, nationwide, "Groups have sprung up all over in resistance to the harm that may come from the policies of Donald Trump. So, alongside these new groups and others long standing, we intend to have our voices heard. Unity is loud!"

Roper explained why she believes Sunday's rally is critical. "As far as the rally, the new Republican Congress has already begun their efforts to dismantle America's health care system. Repealing the ACA — otherwise known as Obamacare — would be catastrophic for millions of people and families. This is a Republican assault on the working class of this country. The ACA made it so that no one with a pre-existing condition can be discriminated against, women cannot be charged higher rates than men, and insurance companies cannot cancel your plan just because you got sick."

While Roper believes Congressman Lee Zeldin and some members of Congress "are so anxious to repeal" the ACA, she feels that, "in doing so, 30 million people would lose coverage. We refuse to stand by and let that happen without a fight. The rally will highlight success stories of the ACA, and explain why we must fight to protect Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security. These are not 'entitlements'. People worked hard all their lives to earn this."

One of the East End Resistor members, a former hospital administrator, said, "One of the things that Zeldin and other Republicans fail to mention when complaining about premium hikes is that the subsidy that Obamacare provides helps to offset those premium hikes. Other things to consider are that not all marketplaces are experiencing huge premium hikes. California's 'Covered California' insurance markets are doing fine."

Recently, scores of East End residents turned out to rally outside Zeldin's office and express their concerns regarding Donald Trump.

Of constituents speaking out about their fears, a statement from Zeldin's office read: ""The Congressman always appreciates hearing from constituents and encourages an open dialogue with residents in NY-1."