ObamaCare’s exchanges are scheduled to kick off Oct. 1 with the individual mandate going into effect, sending millions of Americans to federal and state insurance exchanges that won’t be ready to receive them. This will mean clogged phone lines and long Internet waits in some states, but in many others, the exchanges won’t be up and running at all. Former HHS official Joel Ario helpfully explained, “[N]obody is going to say we’re not starting on October 1, but in some situations, you may see a redefinition of what ‘start’ means.” Those lucky enough to get through will find another shock. Customers will find that their choice of doctors and services will be severely limited because that’s what insurance companies will need to do in an attempt to meet ObamaCare’s promise of lower premiums. A continued decrease in the number of available doctors can also be expected as more physicians opt out of serving Medicare and Medicaid patients because they cannot afford to do so under the new rules.

Another severe problem with ObamaCare may mean that workers who receive insurance coverage through their employer may not be able to cover their families. The problem, euphemistically called the “family glitch,” arises because the law defines affordable coverage at 9.5% or less of an employee’s income without accounting for the cost of covering other members of the employee’s family. Any additional coverage above that threshold means that family members can’t obtain subsidized insurance through the health exchanges. Some states have put rules in place to patch this problem, but that doesn’t address the overall cost issue for family coverage, which ObamaCare promised to do in the first place.