COLUMBUS (WCMH) – The Mayor of Columbus is teaming up with medical leaders to urge the Senate to protect Medicaid expansion and other key parts of the Affordable Care Act.

“97,237, to be exact, of our neighbors have health care today that didn’t eight years ago,” said Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther.

Mayor Ginther says the Medicaid expansion ushered in through Obamacare is essential for those he calls ‘the addicted and the afflicted.’

“It’s not every day that Sherrod Brown, John Kasich, Rob Portman and Andy Ginther all believe that Medicaid expansion is absolutely essential,” said Mayor Ginther.

But Republican Senator Rob Portman did not express any reservations about the GOP health plan until it became clear his party’s leadership could not muster enough support.

Asked what he would say to senators who are being pressured to vote for changes that would take away the Medicaid expansion, “I would tell those folks to go home to their communities and sit down and talk with families that are facing the challenges of accessing affordable health care, those that have family members with pre-existing conditions.”

Dr. Richard Streck, Director of Mount Carmel Health System, fears the impact of the so-called Better Care Reconciliation Act.

“There will be significantly fewer numbers of people covered. Those that remain covered will be underinsured,” said Dr. Streck. He says with the world’s strongest economy, Congress has no excuse not to find a solution.

“I think we need to find the will to solve the problem,” Dr. Streck said.