Locals react to failed Republican plan to repeal ACA

LEXINGTON, Ky.(WTVQ) – People in Kentucky are reacting to the failed attempt at repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act. The Senate voted to kill the legislation earlier this week.

Jennifer Reynolds and her family were denied healthcare before the Affordable Care Act. Now, they have coverage and they are thankful that they get to keep it.

Reynolds and her husband both work, but say they still can’t cover medical costs without the ACA.

“Healthcare is extremely expensive. It is a lie that all employers, or even most employers, give healthcare… It’s just not true… and even if they do, oftentimes you still have to end up paying several hundred dollars a month per person,” said Reynolds.

Without the ACA, Reynolds says she would not have been able to afford the cost of having her son, ans she would have had to give up her job because of a surgery she needs.

She and several others gathered in celebration today, adding some color to the city. People drew hearts and flowers, and wrote messages of gratitude to those who voted to keep the ACA.

Organizers say the event was supposed to be a protest, but then changed after this weeks vote. They say they planned to draw bodies to symbolize those who would suffer if the ACA was taken away. Instead, they drew bodies that showed the joy those same people have now that the ACA is safe.

say that the chalk drawing were created in celebration of a move in the right direction.

Julie Martinez of Together We Will Bluegrass says that the chalk drawings were created in celebration of a move in, what she calls, the right direction.

“The ACA is safe for now, but we also realize the ACA needs to have some work done on it. Healthcare is not in a great position in our country any way around it, and we believe that everyone should have access to quality accessible healthcare,” said Martinez.