In a CNN/ORC International poll released Tuesday, less than one in five people say Obamacare will make them and their families better off. About 40 percent say it will make them worse off, or will have no effect at all.

The poll was released the same day a key element of the Affordable Care Act took effect, and the same day the federal government shut down.

Signed into law in 2010, and ruled constitutional by the Supreme Court in 2012, ObamaCare now allows Americans to enroll in insurance exchanges.

Most of the law’s components, however, don’t actually take effect until 2014.

Republican lawmakers have been pummeling the law, tying it to a stopgap spending measure that’s meant to keep the government funded.

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House Republicans, in the last week, have tried everything from defunding the entire measure to delaying major provisions such as the individual mandate.

Their failure to reach a deal with Democrats on a government spending resolution prevented the GOP from halting the law, and triggered deep divisions within their party.

Many have been criticizing the Obama administration for anticipated technical glitches, and even Health and Human Service Secretary Kathleen Sebelius Kathleen SebeliusThe Hill's Coronavirus Report: Mike Roman says 3M on track to deliver 2 billion respirators globally and 1 billion in US by end of year; US, Pfizer agree to 100M doses of COVID-19 vaccine that will be free to Americans The Hill's Coronavirus Report: Former HHS Secretary Sebelius gives Trump administration a D in handling pandemic; Oxford, AstraZeneca report positive dual immunity results from early vaccine trial Coronavirus Report: The Hill's Steve Clemons interviews Kathleen Sebelius MORE admits errors are expected.

Just more than 50 percent of people in the U.S. agree that ObamaCare is not ready for primetime, according to CNN’s poll. On the other hand, 45 percent say the new health insurance system will eventually work.

CNN’s previous polls this month indicate, overall, Americans still don’t fully understand the new law, or know anything about it.