In a letter dated October 28 and sent to all Kynect enrollees in Kentucky, Democratic Governor Steve Beshear got a message to voters in the Bluegrass State that could help Alison Lundergan Grimes in her race against Republican incumbent Mitch McConnell.
While the letter does serve the understandable official purpose of informing current enrollees about the upcoming open enrollment period, it also was an opportunity for Beshear to tout a program that Republican McConnell has expressed a desire to gut if re-elected to the Senate, where he hopes to become Senate Majority Leader.
The letter reads, in part:
“Dear Fellow Kentuckian:
“You are one of the 521,000 Kentuckians who signed up for health insurance for yourself or your family through Kynect, our health benefit exchange, over the last year. I hope that you had a chance to visit a doctor and perhaps have some long-standing medical concerns addressed. You may have been treated for a chronic condition, received a now-affordable prescription, or been screened for cancer or heart disease. Maybe you were finally able to convince your spouse to get a nagging problem checked out, or get eyeglasses for your child.
“If you did any of these things, congratulations. You know firsthand how life-changing health insurance can be. I have talked with many of you personally and I have been overwhelmed by the stories you have shared. For many of you, having health insurance didn’t just improve your quality of life – in many cases it saved lives.
“Before Kynect, many Kentuckians were refused health care because they had a pre-existing condition; insurers were allowed to discriminate against women just because of their gender; and kids were dropped from their parents insurance at age 18, before many were on their feet and able to afford their own coverage.”
The letter then put the situation in terms that voters could chew on in the few days leading to the elections.
“We can’t go back to those old ways, and let families like yours lose the affordable, comprehensive health insurance you’ve waited so long to find.
“Kynect is working, and you are the proof.
“In Kentucky, we need healthy kids and a healthy workforce, and affordable health insurance is a key part of keeping kids in school and workers on the job. Kynect, and your improving health, are the keys to our future success!”
Meanwhile, Mitch McConnell is being sued by Grimes for a mailer that some say smacks of voter suppression.
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