Why is Obamacare so controversial?

After a troubled rollout and despite widespread unpopularity, President Barack Obama’s 2010 healthcare law is forging full steam ahead The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, known as Obama-care, is the largest overhaul of the US healthcare system since the 1960s. The first ‘open enrolment ’ period during which Americans can sign up for a health insurance plan ended on 31 March, though the Obama administration has extended the deadline for some people who continue to have trouble applying. What does the law do? Its aim is simple: to extend health insurance coverage to some of the estimated 15 % of the US population who lack it. Those people receive no coverage from their employers and are not covered by US health programmes for the poor and the elderly. Toachieve this, the lawrequires allAmericans tohave health insur-ance, but offers subsidies tomake coveragemore affordable and aims to reduce the cost of insurance by bringing younger, healthier people into thehealth insurance system. It also requiresbusinesseswith.50 full-time employees to offer health coverage, although this provision was delayed until 2015 to allow more time for compliance. The law createsmarketplaces—withwebsites akin to online travel and shopping sites—where individuals can compare prices as they shop for coverage. In addition, the law bans insurance companies from denying health coverage to peoplewith pre-existing health conditions, allows young people to remain on their parents ′ plans until age 26, and expands eligibility for the government-run Medicaid health programme for the poor. The law aims eventually to slow the growth of US healthcare spending, which is the highest in the world. What went wrong? Thephased implementationof the lawhasbeenbedevilledby set-backs, including July 2013: The mandate that businesses with over 50 workers must provide insurance is delayed a year until 2015 Oct 23: The deadline for individuals to avoid penalties was postponed to March 2014 Oct 30: Mr Obama acknowledges ‘no excuse ’ for healthcare.-gov website meltdown, which his health secretary concedes is