Paul Ryan confronted by a cancer patient (a lifelong Republican) who says Obamacare saved his life
“Why would you repeal the Affordable Care Act without a replacement?”
House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) was confronted at a town hall on Thursday night by a man who said Obamacare saved his life after he was diagnosed with cancer — and asked Ryan why the GOP is currently trying to dismantle the law.
At Thursday’s event, which was sponsored by CNN and moderated by Jake Tapper, Jeff Jeans introduced himself as a lifelong Republican who once worked on the Reagan and Bush campaigns. “Just like you, I hated the Affordable Care Act,” he told Ryan.
But then, at 49 years old, Jeans was diagnosed with a curable type of cancer. His doctors gave him just six weeks to live if he didn’t pursue treatment.
“Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, I’m standing here today alive,” he said. “I rely on the Affordable Care Act to be able to purchase my own insurance. Why would you repeal the Affordable Care Act without a replacement?”
The speaker demurred, telling Jeans that Obamacare has failed and Republicans want to replace it “with something better.” He also said the GOP plans to maintain coverage for people like him through “high-risk pools” — essentially, a separate health plan that’s only for people with high health care costs.
The problem with high-risk pools is that Republicans don’t seem willing to spend enough money on them to ensure they’ll truly cover the millions of people with pre-existing health conditions...