In pictures: The faces of health care in Kentucky
Hospital patients in poverty-stricken Kentucky are wary of Obama's health-care policy, saying they may not be able to afford it
Steve Christensen, a software consultant and Obamacare supporter, sums up the problem with public perceptions of Obamacare outside a Lexington hospital with his wife, Elisa, who is recuperating from pancreatitis. “People who are against it spout out, ‘Oh, Obama will force everyone to buy insurance.’ They exaggerate that but they don’t know anything about the good points,” he said. “They miss the big picture.”Kevin Van Paassen/The Globe and Mail
Dr. M.A. Winchester examines patient Alan Schafer, 50, at Mission Lexington free medical clinic in Lexington, Ky.Kevin Van Paassen/The Globe and Mail
Clinic manager Peg Nethery, left, dispenses drugs to patient Alan Schafer, right, as family member Ellie Fischer, middle, looks on.Kevin Van Paassen/The Globe and Mail
A former steakhouse chef, Mr. Schafer can’t work because of stomach pain and numbness in his feet, yet is steadfastly opposed to Barack Obama’s health-care system.Kevin Van Paassen/The Globe and Mail
Yolanda Green, left, waits outside University of Kentucky Hospital in Lexington, Ky. Ms. Green's husband was being treated at the hospital after being seriously injured in a motorcycle accident.Kevin Van Paassen/The Globe and Mail
Patient Robert Cochran is seen outside a hospital in Lexington, Ky.Kevin Van Paassen/The Globe and Mail