By Nestor CASTIGLIONE

A crowd of over 300 people braved the rain on the night of Jan. 18, crowding into the Saban Auditorium over at Los Angeles Children’s Hospital. Not only were the seats packed, but dozens of people – along with a significant contingent of local media – spilled into the aisles and surrounding doorways. They were there to hear U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff about what may happen to the former Obama administration’s signature Affordable Care Act (ACA), informally known as ObamaCare.

The ACA put health care within the reach of millions of people who had previously not been able to afford it or had been rejected because of previous existing medical conditions. Yet the ACA has run into significant opposition since former President Obama signed it into law in 2010.

An early promise by Obama made prior to the ACA’s passage would cast a shadow over the law in many quarters.

“If you like the plan you have, you can keep it. If you like the doctor you have, you can keep your doctor, too,” he said in his weekly radio address on June 6, 2009. “The only change you’ll see are falling costs as our reforms take hold.”

In fact, many saw their costs subsequently rise. Some saw their coverage dropped by their insurance companies.

A significant number of Republican-led states also resisted implementing the ACA, often fighting the Obama administration over it in court.

Now the future of the ACA is in doubt.

President Donald Trump stated before and after the election that scrapping the law would be among his administration’s top priorities. One of his first executive orders dealt a powerful blow to the ACA.

“It is the policy of my administration to seek the prompt repeal of the [ACA],” Trump’s order read. He continued by explaining that the order was issued in order to “minimize the unwarranted economic and regulatory burdens of the [ACA].”

“[The Republican Party] did everything [it] could to make [the ACA] fail,” Schiff said during remarks from a panel where he was joined by representatives from organizations backing the law. “The only thing to do is not to repeal it, but to improve it.”

He also invited three residents from his congressional district to speak about how the ACA benefitted their lives. Among them was Gail Carlson, a member of the Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council.

“I speak in support of the [ACA] because I now have health care despite my preexisting medical conditions,” she said from the podium. “My brother also has a preexisting condition: pancreatic cancer. He lives off Social Security and Medicare, but the costs of fighting cancer are huge. His life matters.

“The people who want to tear up the [ACA] ought to walk in our shoes,” she continued as she was met with loud applause.

“We all hope to stay healthy throughout our lives,” Schiff followed. “I don’t get how people don’t understand the fortuity of their own good health or having insurance.”

A period of public comments followed, with many voicing angry incredulity that the ACA’s repeal is becoming a reality.

“What can we do outside of this district to advocate on behalf of the ACA?” asked Steve Levin.

“So many of my constituents are losing sleep over this,” Schiff answered. “The most effective thing to do is to reach out to others across the country and work with them. You can also work with national organizations that support the ACA. It’s important to get involved.”

  Nestor CASTIGLIONE