The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), or as it’s colloquially referred to, “Obamacare” was signed into United States law on March 23, 2010. The passage of the act marks the most significant change to the American healthcare system since 1965.

The objective of PPACA is to better the quality and affordability of health insurance. Additionally, it aims to lower the amount of uninsured and reduce fiscal expenses to both the U.S. population and government alike. This means that all who apply for insurance under the new system will be covered by minimum standards and cannot be denied due to a pre-existing condition or gender.

Open enrollment began Oct. 1, however has gotten off to a rocky start with a variety of issues, including a non-functioning website. Despite the problematic nature of the installment, approximately 106,000 individuals signed up for Obamacare in its inaugural month according to The Huffington Post.

Once enrolled, the average American will pay $328 per month, as reported by Forbes. However, a multitude of factors can influence each individual’s costs including state of residence and income level. There are also penalties for not applying for insurance. According to healthcare.gov, “Most people must have health coverage in 2014 or pay a fee.”

The topic of such reform has been been extremely controversial since Obama first took office, but the public is only now beginning to see the effects.

The already apparent repercussions and future implications have resulted in widespread disagreement throughout the nation in debates as passionate amongst political leaders as they are strangers in a coffee shop. Insight into the prevailing ramifications of Obamacare can be found in the exchanges of those on either side of this highly contentious issue.

The following are pro and con arguments, outlining some key assertions for each viewpoint. It is left up to each individual to form his or her own well-informed opinion on the matter.

The case for Obamacare

Those in favor of Obamacare will tell you that this country is in dire need of healthcare reform and has been for quite some time. Looking at statistics on the current situation in the U.S., the need for a change is undeniable.

A study by Bloomberg Financial Services ranked the United States 46th out of 48 countries surveyed in overall healthcare efficiency, behind others such as Iran and the Dominican Republic. Not only is the present system ineffective, it is also extremely costly. The U.S. spent more on healthcare than any other country in 2011, measured per capita as a percentage of gross domestic product. Comparatively, that is twice as much as Canada — which is positioned higher than the U.S. in effectiveness.

As if this were not enough cause for alarm, about 50 million citizens were uninsured in the year 2010. In 2013, approximately a quarter of all senior citizens have been bankrupted by their medical expenses. Another 43 percent of the senior population has been forced to mortgage their residence or sell their house all together.

Besides the outrageous cost of healthcare, many simply cannot find a provider that will accept them. Individuals being denied insurance because of a pre-existing condition or even because of their sex is commonplace.

To look further into the figures, the United States consistently ranks low or lowest amongst more developed countries in life expectancy. The U.S. also places high or highest in infant mortality, depression rates, etc.

The consequences of such practices is evident not only statistically but empirically. For the huge number of uninsured, a serious injury or illness necessitates an unimaginably difficult decision from the individual and their family. Without insurance, the burdensome choice arises between death of the individual or a life of medical debt for the family. Although this situation may seem foreign to many, it is a familiar one to millions in our country.

Our current healthcare system is deplorable and unacceptable anywhere, but especially for a country as wealthy and advanced as the United States. The initial implementation of Obamacare has admittedly been less than ideal. Despite these trip-ups, PPACA is a very necessary and impactful first step. As we progress out of the introductory stage, the mistakes and bloopers that come standard with any major overhaul similar to this will be corrected. Future America will thank us for toughing out this rough patch. The Affordable Care Act is working to improve our already great nation, and the profits of our investment are soon to come.

The case against Obamacare

 Those against PPACA say that Obamacare is a mistake — and a big one. That has been evident from the start. In fact, it’s almost like the president is trying to talk the American public out of accepting PPACA. The abomination that was the first month of Obamacare enrollment is surely a sign of what the future holds.

The mistake-ridden application of the bill thus far is secondary, however, to the grievous oversights the act possesses at its most fundamental level. The throng of dreadful outcomes from the act’s passage is so severe, how those in favor of the bill failed to foresee them is truly beyond belief.

Firstly, whether or not the average U.S. citizen will pay higher healthcare premiums is up for debate. Conversely, it is almost certain we will see a slew of higher taxes in order to pay for the momentous shift in governmental policy and practice. Obamacare will also cause employers to lose profits because of higher payouts to their respective employee’s health plans. This is even more damaging to small business owners, who may be forced to cut their number of workers, their worker’s hours, or to close up shop completely.

The economic consequences are a convincing argument themselves. But what about the required switch to our president’s idea of a better health plan? And if someone doesn’t enroll in Obamacare they get slapped with a fine? It seems like Obama is ignoring his foremost guiding motivators: the people’s will and the U.S. Constitution.

Resulting from this forced adaptation, it is calculated that more than 100,000 will lose their current healthcare plans, according to Time magazine. On the contrary, the president himself stated in 2009 that citizens can keep their plans if they wish during the switch to Obamacare. Maybe this statement was crafted intentionally to deceive voters; maybe it was pure negligence. Either way, we were tricked into believing a false and detrimental lie.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is not the reform this country needs or wants. The lapses in PPACA policy and implementation will shortly be visible to us all. American citizens deserve nothing but the best, and we can do a lot better than Obamacare.