Despite what many of my liberal friends on the left contend, I believe it to be a good thing to have other journalists reporting on Obamacare’s initial failures. The law needs to be heavily examined and monitored so we can be absolutely certain that it is working as intended. It is a good law and was not supposed to be enacted as it was. The rollout’s shortcomings are indefensible as well as inexcusable. But this is not to be confused with the law itself which has helped and will continue to help poor families obtain health coverage for the first time. My state is a good example of the successes of the Affordable Care Act. Kentucky is the 5th poorest state in the nation and we have more than a half-million residents who have no form of health insurance whatsoever. One out of every four Kentucky children lives in poverty and their families live, everyday, just one bad diagnosis away from financial bankruptcy. Thankfully, we have a progressive governor, Steve Besheaer, who has sought to make the law work in our state. I am so very grateful for this. Many people in Kentucky hate the president. My governor hates seeing sick Kentuckians. There are many frustrating kinks and problems with the new law that need to be hammered out. Obamacare is big and complex, as most laws are. And, in fairness, I must credit Republicans whose healthcare plan is much smaller and easier to understand, as they claim. Because their alternative is simply “Don’t Get Sick”. But that is not a credible nor moral way to help sick and impoverished Kentuckians and it certainly should not be one for any other American either.
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Copyright 2013 Liberaland
Cheston Catalano is a Kentucky-based journalist whose work has been featured in the Chattanooga Times Free Press and the Clarksville Leaf Chronicle. He is a long-time contributor to Liberaland.