October 1 was the day when the marketplaces opened, allowing US citizens to start shopping for their health care plan. The opening was not as smooth as many had hoped, with many of the marketplaces unavailable due to massive amounts of traffic flooding in at the same time. While that got many folks off on the wrong foot, you cannot simply look at that part of the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare as it has been labeled, and say that it is already a failure. The fact that some people are claiming as such is most likely a sign of their political affiliation.
Those that were able to get into the marketplace have mixed reviews, with emotion playing a part in what many people feel about the program as a whole.
The happiest people so far are the ones that the program was put into law for in the first place. Those that have been unable to afford any type of healthcare to this point in their life are of course more than happy about the ability to now have coverage. This is especially true for single parents that have to worry about being able to find the money for shots and basic care for their kids, and it is they who are singing the praises of Obamacare.
At the opposite end of that scale are the people who not only opposed the passing of the Affordable Care Act, but who feel that they are going to see their health insurance premiums rise as a result of it. A rise in prices is a standard part of having health insurance, but there are many that feel another raise right now may be more than they can take financially. The problem that many are experiencing is that the level of information regarding each available package is simply not there. Price quotes are hard to come by for many, as are what benefits they receive with each package.
Then there are those that are still unable to form an opinion because they have been unable to log into the system at all. There are reports circulating of people spending hours at a time to try and access the marketplaces, only to be shut out or met with a blank screen every time they try. This is something that must definitely be frustrating, but which should not serve as proof of the efficacy of the program as a whole.
Only time will tell how the Affordable Care Act will affect the country as a whole. It’s pretty fair to say that the wounds opened up in getting the law passed are still pretty raw, which means that people on either side of the fight will be either healing or feeling as though salt is being rubbed in. Once the system is fully in place and the insurance companies and general public come to term with the changes, we can then take the time to judge whether or not the law is a success or a crushing disaster.
