That may be the POINT of the ACA, but the effect has turned out to be that many middle class, hard working people are struggling to afford what they could easily afford last year. For no fault of their own. Higher premiums, less coverage. Why? So that someone else can have not just the same coverage that they do, but better coverage.
The effect: If Bob has diabetes type II, that means he lived an unhealthy lifestyle (it's lifestyle induced). It's a chronic condition that is very expensive over the long run. Sure, it's possible to cure it by lifestyle changes, esp in the early stages, but that's too hard. Bob would rather take insulin. Bob could get ins. last year, but the premium was really high, since it was based on what Bob would cost the company. NOW, he can get ins. at a much reduced rate...the same as anyone else (except people over 50 & those who smoke). Bob can even get a subsidy, so can get a silver policy with low deductible. Yay. Bob is happy.
Person B, who lives a healthy lifestyle and will never get diabetes type II, could get a reasonable policy at a reasonable rate last year, even if s/he was over the age of 50. That's because although they took into account her age, they also took into account her health and lifestyle and the likelihood of her turning in high dollar claims. But NOW, because of Bob and others, Person B's premiums have increased significantly, to the point that she must pull money out of her food budget to pay for them. The coverage is less than she had before, and the deductible is higher (over $6k), so it won't pay for normal medical concerns. That's if she doesn't get a subsidy, and she may not. She cannot afford anything more than the bottom of the bronze plans. Because she has to pay for Bob's claims that he will not be paying for.
All that pizza that Person B turned down, all the exercise that she does (that Bob won't do), all that is rewarded with UNAFFORDABLE BAD COVERAGE, because she has to pay for the sins of others, who no longer have to pay for their own unhealthy lifestyles.
The new system is patently unfair and promotes an unhealthy lifestyle. It means that one no longer has control in lowering his/her premium. Whether you turn in zero ins. claims or $1 million dollars in claims makes no difference any longer. Living healthy, staying well, not going to the dr for every little sniffle - none of it matters. Everyone can NOT afford these expensive policies that cover very little.