If you find yourself scratching your head and wondering, “what was that all about, exactly,” you’ll find plenty of company – both here, and around the world, as we come to the end of a 16-day federal government shutdown. With almost no constructive changes, whatsoever.
In a way, this is a good thing for professionals in the benefits world: The name-calling, the stampeding, the stomping of feet and even a probably well-deserved total public breakdown for a House stenographer had almost no actual impact on the provisions, delivery or rollout of the Affordable Care Act. Which was, allegedly, at the core of the whole showdown in the first place.
Instead, in great American political tradition, the bulk of the problem-solving responsibility has been shifted a couple of months down the road – to a new Dec. 13 budget deadline. The debt ceiling was once again broken, despite some potentially constructive dialog about the long-term effects of raising that debt ceiling again and again. Nobody, it seems, got their way. Business, as usual.
As the dust settles and national monuments reopen and all those furloughed government workers (and cash-starved private sector workers they support and interact with) go back to work today, the danger may be that Broader America may actually focus some attention on what the ACA will actually mean to them. Especially as it was not all magically wiped away in some Tea Party inspired publicity stunt.
We’re receiving more and more reports of a clunky and occasionally chaotic launch to the state exchanges, though there’s been plenty of consumer-level interest. Which is probably the best sign that the system, as confusing and intangible as it might be to the uninsured, could actually work.
All of that is of little consequence to you in the HR world who now have to focus on the paperwork and the deliverables to your participants – the last two-and-a-half weeks was sort of a smokescreen to some of the bigger issues you’ll be facing. But it will be good to be able to focus on those upcoming rollout dates and get employees reconnected with the changes they’ll see (or the ways they may really not be impacted much at all).
As for the political figures involved, I leave you to your own interpretations of what the whole shutdown – orchestrated as it may have been – will mean for their future careers. Gloating and/or sore losers included. If that kind of thing really excites you, you’ve had a field day for the last 16 days.
If you’re repulsed by the notion of political infighting potentially costing the country $24 billion in lost gross domestic product and further billions in international investor skepticism about our ability to solve problems, it may be a less sunny time.
And now … back to reality. Best of luck.
