Affordable Care Act

It has been a year since Obamacare launched with a difficult start. Now, supporters are confident about the program's future. But critics say it's too early to gauge its success.

Part of each hospital's income now hinges on keeping patients with chronic conditions healthier outside the hospital. One medical center has hired nurses and social workers to act as health coaches.

Nobody looks forward to sitting in the waiting room. So some hospitals are trying to improve customer satisfaction by offering online appointments. The pitch: "Wait for the ER from home."

A federal calculator that companies use to certify whether their health insurance complies with the Affordable Care Act appears to bless plans without hospital coverage.

Many brokers feared the new federal health law would make them obsolete. But more than 40 percent of people who signed up for insurance via Kentucky's state exchange used a broker.

Since the GOP retook the House, the chamber once brought the country to the brink of a debt default and once shut down the government. But in election years, including this one, there's no such drama.

Parts of the Affordable Care Act seek to curb states from setting their own mandates requiring insurers to cover specific care. But many state legislators are trying to work around the restrictions.

A Houston internist who supported the Affordable Care Act now finds that many of her patients who bought less expensive coverage have trouble getting the specialized care they need.

Financial problems have led many hospitals to shut down completely. Georgia is issuing licenses to rural hospitals that would allow them to become nothing more than free-standing emergency rooms.

The Affordable Care Act may eventually smooth out the volatility in health insurance costs for small businesses. But for the next few years, it could be a bumpy — and expensive — ride.

Some people who felt stuck in certain jobs, just because they needed the employment-based health insurance, say they are finding the Affordable Care Act liberating.