WaPo - "In rural Kentucky, health-care debate takes back seat as the long-uninsured line up"

[TomCADem]

This is the story that MSM refuses to cover, thousands of people finally gaining access to health care in Kentucky, home to two Senators who are vigorously trying to repeal the ACA. Thus, while the ACA improves the lives of thousands of Kentucky residents, Senators McConnell and Paul sell out their constituents to gain access to millions of corporate right wing campaign support.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/in-rural-kentucky-health-care-debate-takes-back-seat-as-people-sign-up-for-insurance/2013/11/23/449dc6e0-5465-11e3-9e2c-e1d01116fd98_story.html

This is how things are going in Kentucky: As conservatives argued that the new health-care law will wreck the economy, as liberals argued it will save billions, as many Americans raged at losing old health plans and some analysts warned that a disproportionate influx of the sick and the poor could wreck the new health-care model, Lively was telling Noble something he did not expect to hear.

“All right,” she said. “We’ve got you eligible for Medicaid.”

* * *
The per-capita income in Breathitt is about $15,000, and the rates of diabetes, hypertension and other health problems earned this part of Kentucky the nickname “Coronary Valley.”

Lively, who has been signing people up since the exchanges opened in early October, said one woman cried when she was told she qualified for Medicaid under the new law. She said people have been “pouring in” to her office, an unused exam room in the back of the clinic, where her set-up includes a table, a two-drawer filing cabinet, manila folders, a planner to track her schedule, a notebook to track her numbers and a laptop that connects to the state health-insurance exchange, Kynect.

[SDjack]

1. Hey you guys in Kentucky: The GOP wants to take away your ObamaCare !!!

Vote straight DEM ticket each and every election for the rest of your lives, or risk losing your healthcare insurance.

[Voice for Peace]

2. Wait.. isn't Kentucky a Tea Party Republican Libertarian Stranglehold?

[Skittles]

3. will they FINALLY realized they've been lied to by republicans / teabaggers?

I will not hold my breath

[SheilaT]

4. Will they make the connection?

Will these people understand who wants them to have health care and who doesn't?

[mimi85]

5. Not sure....

we're talking about some very low-info voters. One can hope though.

[SheilaT]

6. Alas, you are right.

The classic "Keep your government hands off my Medicare" is all too true.

I will also lay some blame at the feet of the Democrats for not making these connections crystal clear. Of course, those who only watch/listen to Fox News and/or Limbaugh and his ilk are simply not reachable.

[busterbrown]

7. Educating these people to realize what crap the right wing is... Well, its gonna be a slog!

[No Vested Interest]

8. It's fairly likely that they take their voting instructions from

fire-and-brimstone preachers.
Doubtful there's much newspaper reading and debate watching going on in the hills of KY.
Beautiful country, but not much independent thinking.

[1StrongBlackMan]

13. I think …

There are more than a few Kentuckians that are (maybe, unknowingly), literally, proving that ignorance and/or racism is a life or death decision.

[greymattermom]

9. Kynect

I think it's a great thing that their program has its own name. Kynect. Keep your government off my Kynect!!!

[randr]

10. Don't paint the MSM with such a large brush

Last night Chris Hayes did a wonderful report covering Kentucky's good job of providing the care their citizens need.

[TomCADem]

11. Chris Hayes and MSNBC Are More Of A Niche, Not MSM

I wish Rachel Maddow, Chris Hayes, etc., were considered to be more mainstream, since their reporting is far more fact based than the bloviating that passes for journalism on most other news shows, but MSNBC is more the exception, rather than the rule.

[randr]

12. Think of them as the whole wheat next to the white bread

[SharonAnn]

14. Chris Hayes may have done a wonderful report, but were these Kentuckians listening?

Probably not. Low information voters are not watching TV programs for political news. They're probably not reading newspapers or news magazines for political news either.

[randr]

15. Given that Kentucky is setting an example of how well the ACA can work

I think they may at last be listening. Once people find out that our government has something of value for them, they may just sit up and pay attention.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

16. Word of mouth

trumps everything - "I got mine and you can get yours, too!" I'm just happy the misery index is lowering in Kentucky.