I think you may be misinterpreting the law. As the law is written it will not effect anyone with employer based healthcare. In the cases you mention, the President as well as members of congress already have health insurance which is supplied by their employer, thus no requirement that they drop this insurance and buy insurance through the exchange. In fact, even those affected don't have to buy insurance through the exchange, it's just cheaper that way.
Now, I agree that health insurance tied to your employer may not be a good idea and that it is hard to defend it as we are the only country in the world that does it, but, it is, what it is.
Now, will it be great, mediocre or a disaster? I don't know. I doubt great but I also don't think disaster. In the end it is better to have insurance than not have it and I think it will be successful. In fact, I agree with Ted Cruz on this one point. Once the American public has it, they will not be willing to give it up.

I know the facts don't fit with the Conservative views on the shutdown but the truth is that the Democrats have agreed to a Republican budget as a compromise but will not agree to the defunding of Obamacare.
That gentlemen is a compromise.
Stamping your feet and repeatedly saying you want to defund Obamacare at any cost is just dumb. Dumb, because you're not going to get it and dumb because even though a lot of people don't like Obamacare the truth is that only 23% support defunding it.
Let this Country go into default and there won't be a Republican majority left in the House come election day.
Boehner says there aren't enough votes in the house to carry an up or down vote on a clean budget but he won't let them vote on it so we really don't know.
Boehner needs to decide if his Speakership more important than his Country? Apparently it is to him.