To promote 'Obamacare,' some advocates leave out the Obama part
theGRIO REPORT - Many of the officials, most of whom are Democrats, who are trying to implement the Affordable Care Act are eager to avoid the term 'Obamacare,' and all of its accumulated baggage...
At the festival, which is more like a traditional fair with food and booths than a bourbon tasting event, the bags were popular, as people wanted to use them to hold candies and other things they bought. Some approached the “kynect” table just for the bags, but officials would not give them one until they heard a pitch about the new health insurance options.
In a state where Mitt Romney won by more than 22 points in 2012, there were no doubt some Republican voters walking around with their tote bag and effectively advertising the president’s health care plan to the thousands of people at the festival.
A few of them figured this out. One woman brought the bag back, saying “I don’t support this” and quickly shuffled away without explanation. Kentucky’s exchange officials said that had happened a few times when they handed out the bags at the state fair in August.
But in general, “kynect” officials are able to avoid the political debate on the law. Hundreds of people came to “the kynect” table at the festival, and spoke to a rotating group of half dozen officials who work for “kynect.” Most of the Kentucky residents spoke either of not having insurance personally or a relative who was uninsured, largely because of some kind of pre-existing condition. The staff explained that the new “options” would be available on a state-based website and that pre-existing conditions would no longer bar people from buying insurance.
Several people literally sighed in relief and smiled when they heard the pre-existing conditions line. They assured the “kynect” officials they would go online on Oct. 1.
The “kynect” staff never invoked the national debate over health care, and only a few people who approached their table did.
One elderly woman asked, “Is this Obamacare? ” The volunteer nodded in the affirmative. The woman then said she had heard from friends that people who sign up for Obamacare “get a chip inserted in their shoulder,” which she cast as akin to a government tracking device. She was assured this was not the case.
Another woman named Debbie Redmon, who said she was insured but looking for health coverage for one of her family members, approached the “kynect” booth with confusion as well.
Redmon: “What’s this?”
Exchange official: “This is Kentucky’s version of the Affordable Care Act.” (There is a pause of several seconds, as the woman looked confused.)
“Obamacare,” the exchange official reluctantly acknowledged to the woman, knowing this term was more familiar.
Redmon: “But what if it doesn’t pass?”
Exchange official: “It already passed.”
“I read in the news all the time about this person supports it, this person opposes it, I didn’t know it was the law,” said Redmon, who said she voted for Obama and supports the health care law.
When not talking to potential enrollees, many of the staff members involved with exchanges are quite political and eager to use the term “Obamacare.”
In Atlanta, the volunteers for Enroll America were strong Democrats, who in interviews said they wanted to support the law in part because it bears Obama’s name. They were progressive news junkies who spoke of Ezra Klein and Chris Hayes as if they were household names. The 12 volunteers looked like the coalition of voters who helped reelect the president; five were black, most were women.
In Kentucky, many of the people staffing the “kynect” booth were health care professionals who strongly support the goals of the law and like Obama in part because he pushed so hard for it.
“If someone says this is Obamacare, I say, ‘yes,’” said one of the officials at the “kynect” booth at the festival, who did not want to be quoted publicly. “I’m proud of it.”
“This beats Obamacare”
To its supporters, Obamacare is simply the latest step in the process of expanding insurance to Americans through government-operated programs like Medicare.
But the sly way that Obamacare is being promoted illustrates a key difference. Medicare is popular among members of both political parties. Its recipients are open about saying they receive it. People over 65 get a card that says “Medicare” that they can keep in their wallet.
The Kentuckians who enroll in “kynect” will likely get health care cards from Aetna, Humana, or whoever their insurer is. The health insurance in “kynect” may have been conceived, funded, and completely proscribed by “Obamacare,” but the government of Kentucky is unlikely to announce this to its residents. “kynect” could become a popular program in Kentucky while the state’s Republicans continue to blast Obama and “Obamacare.”
And at least one strong supporter of “Obamacare” seems fine with this as a potential outcome. A Huffington Post story in August depicted a man who visited a “kynect” booth at the state fair in Louisville. After having the health care options explained to him, he told an exchange official, “This beats Obamacare I hope.”
When health care exchange officials from around the country participated in a conference call with him, President Obama repeated this anecdote, praising the Kentucky officials for their success.
“Arkansas is a good example; Kentucky is another good example; Idaho, interesting example — these are states where I just got beat. I mean, I do not have a big constituency in these states,” Obama said in a question and answer session this week with former President Clinton at the Clinton Global Initiative. He added, “I’m losing by 20 percent in these states. But the governors were still able to say we’re going to set up our own state exchanges, their own marketplaces. And each state is just using their own name for it.”
“Which is fine,” he concluded. “Because I don’t have pride of authorship on this thing. I just want the thing to work.”
perry.bacon@nbcuni.com
