Affordable Care Act … for real

As a former communications consultant, primarily to the health care and retirement practices, whenever I talk to friends, the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, seems to come up. It continues to be a mystery to most people. And, when most folks discuss it, it is often in broad, very general terms, which, in itself, can proliferate confusion and anxiety.

Here’s a chance to get something real. In today’s NYTimes, there is a first in a series of articles about the concrete application of the Affordable Care Act on a community — Louisville, Ky. The article focuses on the demographic makeup of the city, which helps explain why the Times chose the city as a location for their stories.

I found this article to do a good job of explaining items in a sensible, straightforward manner. You can get a number of viewpoints, including health clinic management as well as patients. I’m a junkie for stats and concreteness, so this article was a good fit for me.

It’s somewhat lengthy, but I think it helps to clear up persistent confusion. The only question I had after I read the article was whether the author’s name was real or not. Goodnough? Really?

*** ALSO, AFTER YOU COMPLETE THE STORY, READ THE COMMENTS FROM READERS BELOW THEY ARTICLE. THEY COMMENT ON THE CONTENT OF THE ARTICLE AND THERE ARE SOME VERY INTERESTING COMMENTS FROM OUR FELLOW BROTHERS AND SISTERS.

Amanda Peach, left, and Susan Elrod with a patient at a Family Health Centers clinic in the Portland area of Louisville, Ky.

REMAKING MEDICINE

A Louisville Clinic Races to Adapt to the Health Care Overhaul

By ABBY GOODNOUGH

To follow how the health care overhaul is playing out, The Times will look periodically at its impact in Louisville, Ky., a city that embodies the triumphs and the shortcomings of the medical system.