On Oct. 1, President Obama took to the Rose Garden to tout Day 1 of HealthCare.gov, where buying health insurance would be just like buying "a plane ticket on Kayak or a TV on Amazon." Instead, the launch of the federal "Obamacare" site was a train wreck like few seen in the annals of government mismanagement. Early enrollments were far below expectations.
Two months and a 24/7 emergency tech response later, the site was much better – but glitches remained, especially on the "back end" that produces forms for insurance companies.
Mr. Obama also stumbled over his oft-repeated promise that "if you like your plan, you can keep it." When proved wrong, he allowed insurers to extend old plans for a year, though not all state insurance commissioners went along.
Enrollments have picked up, especially on state-run marketplaces. But the ACA, the signature initiative of Obama's presidency, is still a work in progress. Uninsured Americans have until March 31 to enroll without penalty. Obama's legacy hangs in the balance.
– Linda Feldmann, Staff writer
