(CBSNEWS) — After six tumultuous months, open enrollment on the new Obamacare marketplaces comes to a close. Once enrollment is over, a look at the marketplaces will give the nation a better picture of how well the Affordable Care Act is functioning. It’s already perfectly clear, though — to voters and lawmakers alike — that the law is a work in progress.
The first few months of open enrollment were disastrous, after HealthCare.gov — the site that serves as the Obamacare portal for 36 states — was launched with major technical problems. Still, the administration says it has largely recovered, with more than 6 million Americans enrolling in private insurance as of Thursday.
The public has noticed the improved enrollment process, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll released Friday. While just 12 percent of Americans said in December that the launch of the new marketplaces has gone well, 26 percent say so now.
