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Utah Obamacare advocates protest outside Senate offices

Posted at 5:45 PM, Jul 21, 2017
and last updated 2017-07-21 19:45:34-04

SALT LAKE CITY -- While Senate Republicans struggle to come up with an health care plan acceptable to the moderates and conservatives in their caucus, Utah advocates for the Affordable Care Act are not relaxing their efforts.

Supporters of Medicaid and the protections of Obamacare posted flags on the lawn in front of the Wallace Bennett Federal Building in downtown Salt Lake City.

In between the flags, they posted small placards printed with stories of Utahns who have received medical care from ACA plans.

One story involves Paul Gibbs, a Utah father and husband who received a kidney transplant seven years ago.

"Without those patient protections, I wouldn't be alive today because I wouldn't be able to transition from Medicaid to private insurance because that kidney transplant would have been a pre-existing condition," Gibbs said.

Organizers of the event from the Healthier Utah Coalition and Save Medicaid Utah say they plan to compile the stories in scrapbooks to deliver to Senators Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee.