I voted for Donald Trump — and I want to keep the ACA

I voted for President Trump. I’ve argued on Facebook with people who have criticized him. And I still support most of what he is doing.

But there is one thing on which I’m disagreeing with our president. Some of the people I argued against were right on one thing: I regret voting against my own interests concerning health insurance.

Don’t believe the talk that Obamacare is a total failure. There are many people who are very happy and thankful for the insurance we have through the ACA. The ACA works just fine for me. I love it! I really love it! I have great insurance. And I’m healthier because of it. I pay more each year, but it’s worth it to me.

I broke my ankle severely in 2003 and didn’t have insurance. I was able to get it operated on twice. I suffered for years. I limped. When I got home from work, I could barely get from the car to the house. I just accepted it. I tried home remedies. But over time my ankle just kept twisting.

I was able to get insurance through the exchange. My old family doctor accepted the plan. I got a brace fitted for my ankle. And from almost day 1, I was able to walk better. And my ankle gradually improved. I don’t limp any more. I don’t have pain in my ankle any more. Occasionally I have to wear the brace. But most of the time I’m fine.

I take thyroid medicine, which I couldn’t get when I didn’t have insurance, and my life has improved in that area too.

I was also on Adderall for years and went without it when I didn’t have insurance. But I can get it now that I have insurance. And I function a lot better with it.

And I had a mole on my nose. Right when I got insurance I went to my doctor. And she took care of the prescriptions, for the medicine I needed and gave me referrals to have the brace made for my ankle and to take the mole off my nose. I’m a lot more confident without that mole on my nose.

Getting insurance was not hard, either. The very first year there was some confusion about my income. An advocate from Sen. Casey’s office helped me straighten it out within days. The second year, I needed a tax form and the same lady from the senator’s office helped me again.

I feel bad hearing family and friends complain about how the law has affected their coverage and lives. I still don’t understand why so many say it’s not working for them. But I can’t be the only one who’s happy with it.

I posted a comment on a news story about how grateful that I’ve had health insurance through the ACA for the past three years. Someone responded, “It works for me as well. I’m actually paying less than what I was paying through my previous employer.”

Some people who are complaining may not be getting insurance from the ACA. They should be thinking about those of us who are.

I just wish I would have understood the danger to my insurance under the ACA months ago. But now I’m working to save it.

There are a lot of things I like about Donald Trump. And I don’t think it’s really Trump but the Republicans in Congress who have it wrong

I don’t want to lose the health insurance I got through the ACA.

I don’t want it changed. They can improve it.

If Trump and the Republicans were to listen to the reasonable people on the other side, they could just fix some of the lumps in the ACA. But they shouldn’t trash it.

I still like Donald Trump. And I love the ACA.

I believe we should keep both of them.

—

Chuck Harford lives in Perry County, Pennsylvania.