system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5:The difference in a single payer health care system vs Obamacare... what makes one better than the other... why does Obamacare fall short?
gpt
A single payer health care system has the government pay for everyone's health care using taxes. It means that the government runs hospitals and clinics and hires staff, and that the government buys the medicines and supplies. Citizens are all covered for health care.

Obamacare is not that.

Obamacare keeps the current US status quo of health care being run by a bunch of different private companies, with individuals paying money to insurance companies to cover their health care costs. It's just that now those insurance companies have some additional regulations, and people who can't afford private insurance will be covered by state-provided free to low cost insurance. 

It was a compromise between Single Payer and keeping the status quo, but it leaves no one satisfied.