It seems that many of those opposed to implementation of the Affordable Care Act have not experienced a serious health related event. I, myself suffered a serious injury a few years back. Fortunately, I had employer coverage, but still had to deal with paperwork and phone calls regarding claims payment, even while trying to recover. Ironically, prior to this incident, I had never even spent one day in a hospital my whole life (apart from birth, of course), and so, never gave health insurance a second thought. Fortunately, I did not "opt out" of employer coverage, as I was tempted to do (to save the (low) premium cost). After I left the workforce, however, I realized just how "broken" the system was, for once having used up my "COBRA" eligibility (which allowed me to continue my employer coverage for 18 mos.), albeit at much greater cost, I was "rejected" from an individual plan, due to a "preexisting condition" (a result of my accident). Finally, I was able to get catastrophic coverage (at even higher cost) through a "high risk pool" plan.

It also appears that those opposed to the ACA are quick to criticize, but devoid of their own ideas for solving the problem. It is misleading, at best to point to website problems, without also including the fact that one is still able to "shop" for plans online and to purchase them by phone or in person, if one is in such a hurry (don't have to complete enrollment until Dec. 15 for Jan. 1 eligibility and until March 31 to avoid a penalty). Also, the recent spike in insurance cancellations is mainly the doing of insurance companies, not the law itself, who, in a rush to maintain profits, refuse to offer basic coverage at reasonable rates. Many of those who claim to "like" these (now cancelled) policies may well change their opinion (as did I), if they suffer a serious health issue.

Personally, I do feel that the government has a role in ensuring that all Americans have access to reasonable health care, as the present system, based of a competitive market clearly is not working. I do agree, however, that the emphasis on preventative care is perhaps a bit over hyped. It is not at all clear whether people do not make use of such services out of lack of access, affordability or merely by personal choice. While I do also agree that an educational outreach, regarding diet and lifestyle choices seems logical, one must remember that people are not always logical. As a case in point, despite nearly a half century of warnings about the dangers of smoking (lung and bladder cancer, respiratory diseases, etc.), even today, roughly one in five Americans still smoke. Therefore, there still seems a place for governmental interventions, such as restrictions on Trans fats in foods and on sugary drinks for the public good (reducing health care costs overall), despite protests that they represents intrusions on personal freedoms.

So, let’s just move on with in and do what we can to implement the ACA.