WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) – In a speech on the House Floor on Thursday, May 29, Congressman John Yarmuth (KY-3) took on Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s ridiculous and disingenuous claim that Kentucky could retain the benefits of Kynect – the state exchange created under the law – if the Affordable Care Act was repealed.
Since Kynect was launched in October, nearly 415,000 Kentuckians – roughly 1 in 10 – have gained new coverage. Three-fourths of new enrollees reported not having insurance prior to enrollment. In its first six months, Kynect helped cover nearly 50 percent of the state’s previously uninsured population.
Repealing the health reform law would eliminate coverage for nearly every Kentuckian who gained coverage through Kynect. Repeal would reverse the Medicaid expansion, under which more than 300,000 Kentuckians have gained coverage. It would end federal premium assistance, making private plans currently offered through Kynect unaffordable for most Kentucky families. And it would allow insurance companies to once again deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions.
“McConnell’s claim that we can keep Kynect and still repeal the Affordable Care Act is as absurd as it is disingenuous, and our constituents deserve to know that,” Yarmuth said on his congressional website
There was no immediate response on McConnell’s website to Yarmuth’s Floor Statement.
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Preceding provided by Congressman John Yarmuth