The ACA could have had good potential but the Democrats and Republicans were eaten alive by the powerful lobbyist. Despite what the media wants you to believe, the Democrats are as much under the spell of the lobbyist as the Republicans.

To help control costs, the government should have been allowed to negotiate for better pricing on drugs. This is a HUGE business (the federal government) and their size would have allowed them to get better pricing. It would have gone a long ways toward lowering our already expensive healthcare costs (and made the ACA more affordable).

Hospitals can continue to charge what they want. Besides the Big Pharma lobby, the hospitals jumped in too and wanted to make sure their profits were not lost. Normally, hospitals claim they have to charge $100 for a Tylenol because of all the indigent care they provide ("it balances out") but the evidence does not justify this explanation (even before the ACA). The hospital super bill is a huge convoluted mess and continues to costs the American public billions. Congress could have asked for sharp changes and did nothing

The medical product industry was another lobby group that made their way to the ACA dinner table and came away fat. Congress could have negotiated prices with this industry as well. They make billions from medical supplies and equipment as well as surgical "parts". They pretty much charge what they want and get away with it. Same as the drug industry.

I get to chip in, too.

We are self employed, no kids. We're 31 and 27. No tobacco, no health history at all.

Monthly premium is up to $728 next year with a $10,400 deductible.

2016 premium is $535 with the same deductible, so up 36%.

We view it truly as insurance-it's protection in the event of something catastrophic that would otherwise bankrupt us and cost us our business (and our livelihood plus the jobs of our 6 employees). For $8,700 a year, though, we can not afford it. It's more than the mortgage on our house, and we don't have anything else to cut. We own 1 car with 95k miles on it, no cable, we don't even have home internet.

At this point, if something does happen, we can't pay a $10,400 deductible anyway so we're SOL. I don't know what our option is. We were stretched thin this year, so another $200/month won't happen.

Did you vote for obama?

Hell no.

Would have been nice if the spineless reps in congress had done more to stop the ACA.

I work in insurance, most people who do saw the ACA for what it is. Just a way to collapse the system so people will beg for single payer. Plan is working swimmingly so far.