VOA标准英语2013--肯塔基实施奥巴马医改法案

 

In Kentucky, Confusion Marks 'Obamacare' Enrollment 肯塔基实施奥巴马医改法案

LOUISVILLE — While efforts in the U.S. Congress to defund the controversial U.S. health care law known as "Obamacare" have led to a government shutdown, the implementation² of the Affordable³ Care Act is continuing as planned.  In Kentucky efforts to sign up the uninsured are underway in a U.S. state that ranks among the worst, if not the worst, in almost every major health category.

Kynect is Kentucky's program for implementing⁴ the Affordable Care Act known as "Obamacare."

Its information booth at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, which celebrates one of the state’s best selling alcohol exports, has drawn⁵ interest from confused and conflicted people in need of health insurance.  

Mike Parkman likes that the new system does not deny coverage⁶ because of pre-existing medical conditions, but he doesn't like that the plan is offered to people who don’t have jobs.

“Obamacare is for everybody and I think it should be for more for working people than anything," he said. "I think people who work and pay their bills and doesn’t collect a check [receive assistance] - we should get it.  They should give the people who actually work a chance to get insurance instead of just giving it out for free.”

Carrie Banahan heads the Kentucky Health Exchange Program, which offers discounted health plans. She says many middle-class people don’t realize that the Kentucky program is part of Obamacare, and ironically end up liking⁷ many aspects of it.  

“So they don’t understand that Kynect, which is our health benefit exchange as well as the Medicaid expansion, is part of the Affordable Care Act that people are calling Obamacare," she said. "For us it really makes no difference.  We just want to get the people covered.”

Families making up to $80,000 a year qualify for some assistance.

Many of the unemployed⁸ and working poor who come to the Mission Frankfort Clinic in Kentucky's capital would qualify for free or subsidized health care under the expanded Medicaid part of Obamacare.    

Aaron Willard who suffers from diabetes⁹ and high blood pressure says until now he had to choose between health insurance and food for his children.

“Dang, it’s pretty hard you know, not being able to afford things,” he said.

Under Obamacare he will likely qualify for free healthcare.  Kentucky health officials hope to enroll¹ more than  90 percent of the uninsured. The staff at The Mission will now help patients enroll in Obamacare programs where they can get more extensive and preventive care.  But officials say there will still be a need for free clinics for the poor, at least until the transition to Obamacare is complete. 

1 enroll   

v.招收；登记；入学；参军；成为会员（英)enrol

参考例句：

• I should like to enroll all my children in the swimming class.我愿意让我的孩子们都参加游泳班。
• They enroll him as a member of the club.他们吸收他为俱乐部会员。

2 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。

3 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

4 implementing   

v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句

5 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

6 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

7 liking   

n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢

参考例句：

• The word palate also means taste or liking.Palate这个词也有“口味”或“嗜好”的意思。
• I must admit I have no liking for exaggeration.我必须承认我不喜欢夸大其词。

8 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

9 diabetes   

n.糖尿病

参考例句：

• In case of diabetes, physicians advise against the use of sugar.对于糖尿病患者，医生告诫他们不要吃糖。
• Diabetes is caused by a fault in the insulin production of the body.糖尿病是由体內胰岛素分泌失调引起的。