A little more than a month after the launch, or lack of launch, to key measures mandated in the Affordable Care Act, implementation has more issues than the staunchest supporter could imagine.

The fundamental issue is that the fact that the public was grossly misinformed regarding the elements of the law and subsequent measures.

Many who were in charge in the development and execution of the insurance marketplace under the law seem to have a lack of understanding or care about the consumers who are affected.

Getting past the issues with the website, cases of applicant data being incorrectly reported, many other problems exist that both the government and consumer are experiencing.

Citizens were told repeatedly that current insurance plans would remain effective even with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. However, now nearly one million consumers have received termination letters from their insurers because a myriad of reasons.

This has left those consumers forced to go into the insurance exchanges” where another set of issues exist. The website that houses the application process simply does not work correctly, or in some cases at all.

This isn’t just a national issue. The problems impact on Lawrence County residents, too. Of the estimated 62,000 county residents, a portion either has no insurance or is underinsured.

The result is that, statistically, several thousand residents who will apply or need the coverage will have delays in simply determining the costs and coverage.

The time for finger-pointing is over, and all the parties involved in the Affordable Care Act need to have a clear vision for the future of the law. This encompasses everything from fixing access to the exchanges to providing better options for consumers whose plans have been dropped.

It is time to do what is right for the citizens of the United States and fix the mess before more citizens find themselves stuck with no insurance and seemingly no way out.