Obamacare launch poised to reach millions despite shutdown drama
Budget office initiated US government's first partial shutdown in 17 years after deadline passes
Millions of Americans will learn on Tuesday what President Barack Obama’s landmark healthcare law actually means for them, as the administration opens new insurance marketplaces in 50 states despite a government shutdown.
The launch marks a milestone for Obama’s signature domestic policy achievement, which aims to provide subsidised healthcare to millions of the uninsured, the most ambitious US social programme since Medicare was introduced in the 1960s.
Obama is scheduled to meet and pose for pictures in the Oval Office with a group of Americans who stand to benefit from the program, while Vice President Joe Biden and first lady Michelle Obama will also promote the law via media channels.
The first day of online enrollment in the health insurance plans was going ahead despite a partial shutdown of the US government after the failure of the US Congress to pass spending bills to fund government operations in the fiscal year that begins on Tuesday.
The marketplaces, or exchanges, require health plans to provide a broad range of essential benefits that were not necessarily part of individual policies in the past, including mental health services, birth control and preventive care. The coverage is linked to other insurance market reforms and new consumer safeguards, including a ban on discrimination based on gender and health history.