After Tuesday’s election, it seems years of uncertainty over President Obama’s health care law have finally been put to rest — at least for now.

While several states have already submitted the framework for their health insurance exchange program, others waited for the election results and are now scrambling to meet the November 16th deadline next week. Many states have asked for more time.

Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), every state is required to submit a blueprint of their own health insurance exchange or participate in a federal-state partnership. If states do not establish their own exchanges by the deadline, the federal government is prepared to step in and assign a federal exchange or a federal-state partnership model.

But the early bird gets the worm. States like Illinois, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Washington who have already taken the initiative to create their own framework have already received over $181 million in grants from the government to help establish their exchanges.

The New York Times article, “With Obama Re-Elected, States Scramble Over Health Law,” says that the success of the ACA depends greatly on the individual states as they decide whether to build online insurance exchanges, where individuals and small businesses can shop for health plans, and whether to expand their Medicaid programs to reach many more low-income people. Read More…

“There is still a tremendous amount of disinformation out there,” said Jeff Goldsmith, a health industry analyst based in Virginia. “If you actually are going to implement this law, people need to know what’s in it — not just the puppies-and-ice-cream parts, but ‘Here are the broader social changes intended and how they can help you.’ ”

President Obama faces many crucial decisions in the coming months about how best to appeal to those who are for and against the ACA if it is to succeed.

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?