Health care exchanges net poor reviews

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'I was very much looking forward to it,' said Rodriguez, 51. 'That's what this country needs - affordable health care.'

Janice Brown, a semi-retired travel agent from Prather, Calif., was among those who had a positive experience.

After some initial trouble on the exchange website, Brown got through to a help line and downloaded an application to buy a plan for $1,500 per month for herself and her husband. That's $1,000 less than her current private plan.

'I'm thrilled,' said Brown, 61. 'The coverage is better. It's fantastic.'

Thirty-six states are using the federal government's site, HealthCare.gov, which launched on Oct. 1. The administration of President Barack Obama said the site had already attracted millions of unique visitors, but declined to release enrollment figures, saying that will be done monthly.

Overall, the poll found, 40 percent of Americans said the launch of the insurance markets hasn't gone well, 20 percent said it's gone somewhat well and 30 percent didn't know enough to say. Just 7 percent said the launch had gone very well.

Even among those who supported the president's health-care overhaul, also known as 'Obamacare,' just 19 percent thought the rollout had gone extremely well or very well. Forty percent said it's gone somewhat well, and 18 percent think not too well or not well at all.

While the Congressional Budget Office has estimated that about 7 million uninsured Americans will gain coverage through the online insurance marketplaces next year, the law remains contested - factoring into the ongoing federal government shutdown, with Republicans insisting that any legislation to fund the government should also delay its implementation.

Among the public, opinions are also sharply divided. While 28 percent of Americans support the law, 38 percent are opposed to it and 32 percent don't have an opinion either way, the poll found.

Starting next year, the law requires virtually all Americans to have insurance or face a tax penalty after a coverage gap of three months.

Wire services