The worst part of it is that companies like Wal Mart, which only covered around 46% of their employees, fought successfully to get an exemption from these harsh restrictions. So Wal Mart will continue their philosophy of offering a wink and a nod, and then shift their low paid workers to Medicaid so the States can cover them. Last I looked, Wal Mart workers cost states more than any other employer.
It's too bad the lobbyists won, they usually do. But while some were debating the issue honestly, lobbyists were busy filling the congress critters with smoke, and the public with BS. Fact is, most Americans couldn't afford the health care plan they have now, and that will likely get even worse.
If nothing was done, companies would have dramatically scaled back the plans they offer, or continue to raise employee contributions and deductibles. One would think that after awhile, people would start ranting and raving over their health care cost. With this plan, only some will, and the problems will grow exponentially.
One fact that was totally obscured in this big "debate", is that we cannot continue to spend as much as we do on heath care. Looks like another decade of pass the buck.