How about a little Kynect on the Kentucky campaign trail? ::posted Tue, 12 Aug 2014 20:12:26 +0000:: ift.tt/1sP8NBG rss@dailykos (Joan McCarter) Kentucky Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell and Democratic challenger Alison Lundergan Grimes campaigned last week in coal country. Grimes even brought in former President Bill Clinton to boost her credibility with coal miners, and touted her endorsement by the United Mine Workers. But there was something both she and McConnell left out of their speeches, and its a crying shame it was ignored. The invaluable Joe Sonka reports: What wasn’t mentioned by either candidate in their speeches before laid-off coal miners was the fact that they both were located in counties that have seen the most dramatic decrease in the percentage of residents without health insurance in Kentucky—all thanks to the landmark legislation of the unpopular president they were there to roast. […] [A]n examination of enrollment numbers through Kynect, Kentucky’s state insurance exchange made possible by the Affordable Care Act, shows that the uninsured rate dropped more dramatically in Perry County (where Hazard is located [and Grimes and Clinton appeared]) than in any other Kentucky county. […] McConnell’s speech was just inside Whitley County’s border in Corbin, which has the second-largest estimated plunge in the percentage of uninsured among Kentucky counties. In 2012, 23,972 Whitley County residents were insured and 5,153 residents were not, but 6,382 people enrolled through Kynect. Assuming the same 75 percent figure, this estimate would have Whitley County’s uninsured rate falling from nearly 18 percent to less than 2 percent. Its pretty damned clear why McConnell failed to bring it up—every time he opens his mouth on the subject, complete nonsense spills out. But its absolutely true that Kentucky had a huge drop in its uninsured rate, second only to Arkansas, according to Gallups survey. Thats thanks to Obamacare, or as its known in Kentucy, Kynect. And Kynect is relatively popular in this very red state—more popular than McConnell, who has a 54 percent unfavorable rating compared to Kynects 27 percent opposed. Given what a disaster McConnell is on this issue, Grimes should be going on offense with it. Thats particularly true in the places where its really working. [Forwarded by the MyLeftBlogosphere news engine. Link to original post below:]
Posted on: Tue, 12 Aug 2014 22:23:04 +0000
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