Well, he did campaign on a unity theme

He simply didn't tell us how he'd unite us:

Two weeks after President Barack Obama signed the big health care overhaul into law, Americans are struggling to understand how — and when — the sweeping measure will affect them.

Questions reflecting confusion have flooded insurance companies, doctors' offices, human resources departments and business groups.

"They're saying, 'Where do we get the free Obama care, and how do I sign up for that?' " said Carrie McLean, a licensed agent for eHealthInsurance.com. The California-based company sells coverage from 185 health insurance carriers in 50 states.

McLean said the call center had been inundated by uninsured consumers who were hoping that the overhaul would translate into instant, affordable coverage. That widespread misconception may have originated in part from distorted rhetoric about the legislation bubbling up from the hyper-partisan debate about it in Washington and some media outlets, such as when opponents denounced it as socialism.

"We tell them it's not free, that there are going to be things in place that help people who are low-income, but that ultimately most of that is not going to be taking place until 2014," McLean said.

Adults with pre-existing conditions are frustrated to learn that insurers won't have to cover them until 2014 (though those under 18 will be protected in late September); then they become both hopeful and confused upon learning that a federal high-risk pool for them will be established in the next few months. "Health insurance is so confusing. You add this on top of it and it makes it even more confusing," McLean said.

The piece goes on to cite how Obama plans a year long education campaign to combat all the confusion.

Hmm... so... we'll have this government mandated healthcare and we'll need to attend the equivalent of an education camp to understand how it's going to help us.

Where can I sign up?

Crossposted at Wizbang.

Comments

[Jacob Klinger]

That sounds about right - we're all for RE-education camps! COMPLETE WITH TENTS AND OUTDOOR LATRINES!

...and barbed wire

...and towers with guards

...this is starting to sound like something I've read about in my history books

[tim aka The Godless Heathen]

“McLean said the call center had been inundated by uninsured consumers who were hoping that the overhaul would translate into instant, affordable coverage. That widespread misconception may have originated in part from distorted rhetoric about the legislation bubbling up from the hyper-partisan debate about it in Washington and some media outlets, such as when opponents denounced it as socialism.”

Oh, I see. “Some media outlets” (read Fox News) informed viewers about what the bill was/is about and that translated for the uninsured into falsely believing in instantaneous coverage?

Not the Obama administration's inability, confusion, half truths, lies and plain ole incompetence in informing the American people what was in the bill even though they had over a year to do it? No, couldn't be that, no.

Lastly, your freakin’ right there was “hyper-partisan debate” , some of us actually believe in the US Constitution while others…not so much.

[Locutisprime]

I believe Obama has a term for instances like this.

I believe he calls them "teachable moments."

So is everyone ready to learn?