Phil Galewitz

Under the president's plan, insurers will be permitted to extend this year's policies into next year, but it's far from clear that insurers will want to follow through. Some state regulators may not even let them.

Numbers released by the government Wednesday deepened doubts about the law's immediate viability, and proposed fixes have shortcomings.

Despite the president's urging that frustrated consumers use call centers, advocates say they're not "a realistic alternative" for comparing and selecting coverage.