60% want Obamacare changed, not repealed, new Pa. poll says

Feb. 24--Sixty percent of registered Pennsylvania voters say the Affordable Care Act should have a few changes made to it to improve it, according to a new Franklin and Marshall College poll released Thursday.

Only one in four believes that Obamacare should be repealed, according to the poll.

The Valley's two U.S. congressmen, both longtime opponents of the law, said constituents who have approached them also want changes in the law. But Rep. Lou Barletta, R-11, of Hazleton, and Rep. Tom Marino, R-10, of Cogan Station, go one step further. They want the law repealed.

"I have heard from constituents, individuals, families and employers that Obamacare is not working for them," Barletta said Thursday night. "Deductibles and premiums have skyrocketed, and out-of-pocket costs continue to increase. Many Americans are now paying more for less, and coverage does not always mean access. Obamacare was on the ballot in November, and the voters said they wanted a change."

Barletta supports covering people with pre-existing conditions and letting adults stay on their parents' health insurance until the age of 26. But he also said he is "committed to working with my colleagues to replace the Obama administration's failed health care law with an alternative that increases access and lowers costs for the hard-working American. I will not support the repeal of the law without seeing a replacement first. The process must be deliberate and not rushed so as to ensure that individuals do not fall through the cracks. I will be watching closely as this process continues."

Speaking for Marino, senior director Ryan Barton said Thursday that Marino's constituents feel that Obamacare has failed the American people. "After six years of this failed law," Barton said, "there has been a 25 percent average increase in premiums, 4.7 million Americans have been kicked off of their health care plans and $1 trillion in new taxes are being paid mostly by our job creators and families. It is important that we repeal Obamacare and replace it with a viable plan that expands access, improves quality, lowers costs, covers patients with pre-existing conditions and puts patients in charge of their care."

The Franklin and Marshall poll also found that Pennsylvania voters continue to be dissatisfied with the direction of the state, the country and politics in general, said G. Terry Madonna, director of the poll. Fifty-two percent of registered voters believe the state is "on the wrong track," he said. Sixty-six precent of respondents feel the same way about the country's direction.

"There is so much polarization," Madonna said. "Neither side trusts the other at the federal level. One in three -- 32 percent -- of registered Pennsylvania voters believe President Trump is doing an 'excellent' or 'good' job, according to the poll."

Barton said: "The American people are tired of business as usual in Washington, D.C. When they elected President Trump, they sent a message. They want us to work together to tackle our country's most pressing issues. Through the first 30 days of President Trump's administration, we have done that. We are working to jump start our economy by bringing jobs back to the United States and working to reverse many of the job crushing regulations imposed by the Obama administration."

Email comments to rdandes@dailyitem.com. Follow Dandes on Twitter @rdandes.

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