PBS News Weekend

The Affordable Care Act signed by President Obama and which took effect in 2013 mandated all Americans obtain health insurance, and for those that didn't have it, the ACA created a federal and state marketplaces, also known as exchanges. The system was designed to facilitate coverage for the self-employed, the uninsured and anyone without access to employer-provided insurance, Medicaid or Medicare. But after just a few years, big insurance companies like Aetna, Anthem, and United Health have pulled out of the marketplace. This year, only 57 percent of enrollees in state exchanges have a choice of three or more insurers, down from 85 percent last year, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Enrollees in another five states have only one choice: take it or leave it. NewsHour Weekend's Christopher Booker went to one of those states, Alabama, to find out the impact.