With a new health care law that is here to stay after president Obama secured his seat in the White House for another four years, states are scrambling to get their act together around the new legislation. And they have less than 10 days to comply. Word to the bad: The Affordable Care Act coined by Republicans as ObamaCare is here to stay.

Republicans held their breath on election night hoping that Mitt Romney would claim the title of America’s new dream and repeal ObamaCare will be spending the next few days on crucial strategy implementation that only 15 states so far have created a framework for.

According to the Washington Post at least a half-dozen Republican governors vowed not to implement the health-care law until after the election only making a decision when they have to. And now they’re planning to make the federal government take on the responsibility of setting up health insurance exchanges for their states as well. Writer Sarah Kliff also shares that in states that have shown some of the staunchest opposition to the Affordable Care Act, private industries are pushing for more cooperation with the federal government. That includes Florida, where Republican Gov. Rick Scott has repeatedly refused Affordable Care Act funds.

Looks like President Obama’s first order of business — after handling the looming “fiscal cliff’” — is to whip this new health care into shape while simultaneously educating the public about the changes in the new law and how it will impact them.

For those still in the dark, check out popular YouTube vlogger Franchesca Ramsey’s ObamaCare Barbie video below:

Writers Abby Goodnough and Robert Pear of The New York Times writes: “Mr. Obama faces crucial choices about strategy that could determine the success of the health care overhaul: Will the administration, for example, try to address the concerns of insurers, employers and some consumer groups who worry that the law’s requirements could increase premiums? Or will it insist on the stringent standards favored by liberal policy advocates inside and outside the government?”

The back and forth of it all will make your head spin. As political gibberish gets tossed to and fro there are a few cliff notes for the rest of us who simply need to understand the meat and potatoes of the law’s challenges and what might be spurring the opposition.

ObamaCare Challenges 101 for those of us that are beyond confused:

  • States just aren’t ready and feel uneasy about creating a cohesive framework for enacting the new mandates.
  • Some states are asking for partial implementation and continuing to oppose certain parts of the law.
  • Thirty million Americans will be insured by 2014 with plans to expand Medicaid to 133 percent of the federal poverty line but conservatives ask how this plan will affect the overall deficit. Additionally uninsured Americans will be forced to get insurance or face a tax penalty.
  • The marketing plans for educating the public about ObamaCare will begin in fall of 2013 but overall implementation will take effect in January of 201. Will this be enough time?
  • Separate lawsuits challenging the requirement that insurance policies cover contraception without copays are making their way through the courts.
  • The law will reduce Medicare payments to hospitals and other institutional medical care providers that fail to meet certain productivity requirements.

How do you feel about ObamaCare?

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