In Kentucky, Competing Narratives Complicate Healthcare Debate

The Takeaway | Jul 13, 2017

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Senators Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul, two Republican lawmakers from Kentucky, have long-pointed to their state as a prime example of the Affordable Care Act's failure.

Yet, as Majority Leader McConnell faces resistance in the Senate from within his own party, questions arise once again over whether or not the state of healthcare is as bad as congressional leaders make it out to be. While Kentucky, much like the rest of the nation, is certainly facing a rise in healthcare premiums, Obamacare's Medicaid expansion has helped the state reduce the number of uninsured Kentuckians by nearly 12 percent.

Despite this seeming success, Kentucky stands at the nexus of several competing strains of political ideology. Jason Bailey, executive director for Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, joins The Takeaway to provide clarity about the economics of healthcare in the bluegrass state.

This segment is hosted by Todd Zwillich.

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