I don’t care that Mary Stamper “chose” to have 11 kids even though she doesn’t have a steady job with health benefits, or that Gary Gross has no job, smokes, and drank so much that he damaged his liver by the age of 36. I don’t care that Ronald Hudson has diabetes, five kids, and an income below $15,000. All I care about is that they are eligible for Medicaid in Kentucky thanks to ObamaCare. It’s not my responsibility to pass moral judgment on other people’s life choices; it’s my responsibility to make sure that everyone who needs to see a doctor can see a doctor. I don’t think there is a single political issue that should take precedence before this one, so I am ecstatic that these folks are signed up for Medicaid. This is exactly why I am became politically active.
It would be nice if some of these people decided to vote for the Democratic Party, but that is not the point of these reforms. The point is to help them whether or not we get any political credit for helping them.
But, at least one of them seems to get it.
Soon, Ronald Hudson walked in.
“Okay,” Lively began. “What Hudsons are you kin to?”
“R.T., Uncle Lenny . . .” said Hudson, a skinny 35-year-old who worked as an assistant director at the senior center and had just been released from the hospital after a blood-sugar spike.
He’d never had insurance before and said his hospital bills were up to $23,000 at this point.
“Good night,” Lively said, tapping in his information.
Kids: five. Salary: about $14,000 before taxes.
“You’re going to qualify for a medical card,” she told Hudson.
“Well, thank God,” Hudson said, laughing. “I believe I’m going to be a Democrat.”
Lively printed out his papers.
“RONALD’s Health Care Coverage Options,” one of them read.
“Oh, man,” Hudson said.
Hopefully, Mr. Hudson will be as good as his word and will vote against Mitch McConnell next November.
