SOUTH LOS ANGELES – On the walls in a conference room at Saint John's Clinic in South L.A., images represent the importance of Obamacare to this community.
George Harris is a patient at this clinic who has health insurance through Covered California, the health insurance exchange in this state under the Affordable care Act.
"I enrolled so I could go to the doctor and stay in good health," said George Harris.
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But the future of the Affordable Care Act is once again being threatened. On Wednesday, a federal appeals court struck down a central provision of the Affordable Care Act, ruling that the individual mandate was unconstitutional, leaving the future of the entire law in uncertainty.
"I hope I don't lose no coverage, I hope I don't lose no coverage," said George Harris.
Challenging that ruling is California Attorney General Xavier Becerra who says he is prepared to file a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court.
"We will move swiftly to challenge this decision and seek verification because this could the difference between life and death for so many Americans and their families," said Xavier Becerra.
For Dr. Anitha Mullangi, a family physician and chief medical officer at St. Johns, losing the affordable care act as a whole would be detrimental to the population that seeks care at the clinic with many under the federal poverty line.
"People don't understand that lots of these patients stayed out of the hospitals, out of the emergency rooms because of the Affordable care Act, but now they will go back because once they get sick and they cannot seek treatment, they have to somehow get the treatment," said Dr. Mullangi.
But as the topic weighs heavy in the political arena, Harris says he will cast his vote for president in the 2020 election based on who has the best plan for healthcare.
"It's very important healthcare is my number 1 priority. The ones who do have it try to keep it, and the ones who don't try to get some coverage, because paying out your pocket is not good," said Harris.
His wellbeing depends on it.