Local residents mixed on Obamacare, but want GOP to act

July 30--While President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans squabble over the GOP's failed attempts to repeal Obamacare, Tony Cummings of Linden wishes they would get together and come up with a workable plan.

Cummings, a wood carver who sells his works on Saturdays at Fayetteville's downtown Farmers Market, dislikes the Affordable Care Act because it requires him to buy health insurance. His premiums have been $800 to $1,000 a month, he said.

"Right now, my finances are pretty low, and I'd just as soon not have to have insurance because I can't afford it," Cummings said. "It's making me try to figure out ways to cut corners when I've already got them all cut."

Several Cumberland County residents interviewed Saturday said they have -- to some degree -- followed the Republicans' repeated attempts to repeal Obamacare. Some are disappointed that it's still not repealed six months into Trump's presidency. Others are relieved.

Not everyone knew that Sen. John McCain, a Republican from Arizona, cast a deciding vote early Friday that killed the latest effort. The repeal failed 49-51, with three Republicans voting alongside all of the Democrats against the repeal.

Cummings sees a lack of focus on the Republicans' part.

"I think that the Republicans and Trump need to spend a little bit of time, more time, trying to decide exactly what they do want," he said.

Two other Farmers Market vendors also said they want Obamacare to end, although as military retirees they said they get healthcare through the government's Tricare program and have not felt directly affected by Obamacare.

"I'm disappointed," said Tony Vazquez of Hope Mills, owner of Symphony Coffee Roasters.

Vazquez said he heard theories that more Republicans opposed the repeal bill than just the three who voted against it. But to look good to their voters, they voted "yes" because they knew they had the political cover of the "no" votes from McCain and Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins.

John Parker of Cedar Creek sells chicken and pork at the Farmers Market.

"The Democrats need to come over with the Republicans and just work on it, instead of trying to find trash on Trump and his family," Parker said.

Across the parking lot from Parker and Vazquez, Delores Dantzler-Wolfe of Delores' Crumple Crust Pies was glad that Obamacare survived Friday's Senate vote.

"They don't need to repeal it," she said. "We've never had health care for everybody in this country before. What we need to do is fix it."

Other public programs, such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, had flaws and needed adjustment after they launched, Dantzler-Wolfe said. Congress should address the Affordable Care Act's flaws instead of completely tossing it out, she said.

Physician Naveed Aziz of Spring Lake has similar thoughts.

Some of Aziz's patients get their insurance through the Obamacare health insurance exchange, she said, and most of those are younger people with jobs. They use Obamacare because their employers don't offer health insurance, she said.

"So those patients are, of course, very, very worried" about losing their health insurance, Aziz said.

If Obamacare is repealed and not replaced, Aziz predicted that only sick people would have insurance "and insurance companies would have to increase the premiums and deductibles and co-payments. So it is a lose-lose situation for everyone."

Staff writer Paul Woolverton can be reached at [email protected], 910-486-3512 and 910-261-4710.

___

(c)2017 The Fayetteville Observer (Fayetteville, N.C.)

Visit The Fayetteville Observer (Fayetteville, N.C.) at www.fayobserver.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.