Kentucky governor praises health care launch
(CNN) - Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear of Kentucky said Obamacare sign-ups are working just fine in his state, where 640,000 people don't have insurance.
"We're signing up people at roughly a thousand a day. It's a great rate and a great success so far," he said on CNN's "New Day."
[twitter-follow screen_name='politicalticker'] [twitter-follow screen_name='KilloughCNN']
Kentucky residents apply for health care through their own state exchange at known as Kynect, which Beshear described as "a gold standard because it's working."
Since it launched on October 1, the federal website, HealthCare.gov, has undergone serious malfunctions as it tries to accommodate the thousands of people trying to access the website.
Critics of the law have pounced on the debacle, saying the technical issues are just an indicator of what they see as a disastrous law.
Asked about Republican Sens. Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul, Kentucky's two senators and staunch opponents of Obamacare, the governor said critics of the law "are not paying attention to the facts" and they "weave a web of misinformation."
His piece of advice?
"Take a deep breath. You know, this system is going to work. The only thing that really isn't working right now on the federal level is the website," he told CNN's Chris Cuomo. "I'll guarantee you that whether it's a week from now, a month from now, two months from now, they'll get it up and they'll get it working. People will be signing up."
Beshear also sounded amenable to the idea of possibly moving the March 31 deadline to sign up for health care insurance because of the federal website's rocky rollout.
"Deadlines tend to move, you know, when things don't work well, we'll move deadlines," he said. "I don't know exactly what decisions will be made because we're not there yet...I feel confident that we will have time to get people in this system."
From CNN Politics
- Your Trump questions answered. Yes, he can still run for president if indicted
- 10 Cards Charging 0% Interest Until 2024
- 'This is ridiculous': Congress and White House careen toward default deadline as standoff grows
- Trump's intensifying legal drama could drag America closer to historic precipice
- Untitled
- Supreme Court humors itself as it considers whether Jack Daniel's can stop a dog toy company from parodying its brand
A state website that's working, in a state run by a Democratic governor.
Coincidence?
While other red states put their fingers in their ears and went, "Naa naa naa I can't hear you", Beshear took the trouble to make sure Kentucky had a functioning healthcare exchange website. If all the red states had done the same, the problems with the Federal website would be a pretty small story, que non?
He's lying, it's a trainwreck! Trainwreck I tell ya. He's just an Obama puppet!! No! No! It can't be true!! Rush and Hannity said there are victims of Obamacare. ( I actually saw that on Hannity last night.)
ROFLMAO.
With all of the flaws it has, it's still better than any plan put forth by the republicans. Oh! my mistake, they never presented a plan now, did they.
McConnell is looking like the idiot now! Which i guess is nothing new. McConnell will take some of the credit before it is all said and done.
I'd like to know what their opposition is to the expansion of health care insurance. If it is because the government is doing it, then get some wealthy people to form a non-profit to provide the service. If there is something that conservatives don't want to government to do, then find another way to do it.
Doh!!! Shove your talking points back in your mouth.
The first two words of the article explain the smooth sailing: "Democratic Gov." Beshear understands the need for affordable care, and therefore sees the folly in longing for its demise.
This is not the same Kentucky that I left. I have always been proud of my home state until today. Being all around the world and in several different countries I see America following in the same paths of destruction. I read on Friday that so far 476,000 applications have been accepted to the new health care plan, in that same time there were 432,000 open claims for VA disability that have been waiting for up to 3 years, some of these claims belong to friends of mine that deserve the disability. America needs to wake up and smell the coffee.
Ken
This is not the same Kentucky that I left. I have always been proud of my home state until today. Being all around the world and in several different countries I see America following in the same paths of destruction. I read on Friday that so far 476,000 applications have been accepted to the new health care plan, in that same time there were 432,000 open claims for VA disability that have been waiting for up to 3 years, some of these claims belong to friends of mine that deserve the disability. America needs to wake up and smell the coffee.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
What does ACA have to do with VA disability claims? Oh, that's right – NOTHING! That your friends have to rely on the VA for medical care, even service-related claims, means they will most likely benefit from the ACA in the form of premium subsidies, and since they can't be denied care for preexisting conditions, perhaps the ACA will move them along in their quest for treatment.
@Ken,
"This is not the same Kentucky that I left. I have always been proud of my home state until today."
So you're not proud of the fact that Kentuckians are signing up for affordable private health insurance? Why don't you want your fellow Kentuckians to have health insurance? What a weird comment.
As to the VA, well, fair point. But then, I suspect you don't like the idea of government insurance and care, and guess what? - that's what the VA is. So why are you unhappy with that? It seems to me you should be delighted that private insurance is being purchased and government insurance via the VA is failing.
Do you folks ever think about your political philosophy, and how contradictory it is?
Ken
This is not the same Kentucky that I left. I have always been proud of my home state until today. Being all around the world and in several different countries I see America following in the same paths of destruction. I read on Friday that so far 476,000 applications have been accepted to the new health care plan, in that same time there were 432,000 open claims for VA disability that have been waiting for up to 3 years, some of these claims belong to friends of mine that deserve the disability. America needs to wake up and smell the coffee.
-------------------------
You are aware that the Bush administration made deep cuts into the VA budget during his first term, don't you? Why they would start two wars and then make deep cuts in the VA budget is beyond my understanding. You'd think that they would increase the budget, and expand VA hospitals. Nope, they claimed that they were cutting the VA budget to pay for the war efforts.
Now we have a cabal of neophytes shouting 'no more spending', who don't want to put more money into it. They want people to have complaints about the administration, even including valid complaints like yours. Just understand that the problems that the VA faces today are a result of cutbacks made a decade ago..
The State run online exchange in CA is working just fine also and Californians are signing up. .
In red States where they have republican Governors, are trying to see any loophole to let the ACA programme fail completely. Anyone who is thinking right can understand the sabotage they are implementing. They are hurting those who desperately need ACA and its wrong.
We're signing up people at roughly a thousand a day. It's a great rate and a great success so far," he said on CNN's "New Day."
-------------------------------------------------
Thank you Governor for stepping up and speaking out as to how well the roll-out is going in your state, and expressing with certainty that the glitches will be worked out of the national website.
Democrats need to continue to PUBLICLY coalesce, as they did during the shutdown and their staunch and public opposition to defunding Obamacare. Together they have and will continue to achieve more than scattered and as individuals.
Repub. Governors opting for a FEDERAL SOLUTION instead of their beloved State Solution ????? They must really HATE Obama !! They sure aren't thinking about their State Citizens who want to commit the Mortal Sin of trying to purchase Health Insurance in an attempt to be personally responsible for their lives.
Funny thing about the federal website, when you enter in your information, which includes the state you live in, when you hit enter, if your state is participating, well you get sent to your states website! Imagine that! I can only guess the biggest crybabies are the republicant controlled states that made the decision not to participate in the law.
How do I know this? I tried it last night!
"America needs to wake up and smell the coffee."
Every morning, Ken. I smell the coffee every morning courtesy of a wonderful husband who brews it just for me.
I'm on my second cup as I type.
@Ken,
"This is not the same Kentucky that I left. I have always been proud of my home state until today."
-------------------------------------------------
I guess you were not aware that the state of Kentucky was ranking number one WEEKS ago in regards to number of people accessing the state's ACA website.
It appears that the "proud" folks of Kentucky are in dire need of Obamacare.
Your pride should've flown the coop a long time ago.
With the dems running the country , we will get things done, while the GOP sits on the side lines and tries to sabatuage and obstruct. They will pay a high price in 2014 elections when they lose the house and lose seats in the senate . Even most of their own base is sick of their anti obamacare Romney care rant , and then they lost 24 billon dallars off the GDP in TWO WEEKS of our money!!!!!
WoW !! wonder what the "Lifer" Mitch has to say about that ?
Well we know for certain, that's a total lie. Typical for Democrats, who never tell one shred of truth, about anything.
Lynda/Minnesota
"America needs to wake up and smell the coffee."
Every morning, Ken. I smell the coffee every morning courtesy of a wonderful husband who brews it just for me.
I'm on my second cup as I type
-------------------------------------------------
LOL!!
I had a husband that did the same for me every morning for 30 years Lynda...then he started brewing other things...he had to go!
Kentucky has a democrat governor? How'd that happen?
HoustonOilMan
Kentucky has a democrat governor? How'd that happen?
-------------------------------------------------
I guess the same way that New Jersey ended up with a Republican one.
People voted.
Houston oil man.... That was the first question that popped into my mind too.