Local employers gathered Friday afternoon to listen to Jesse Patton — healthcare guru who spent months in Washington, D.C., working on the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Patton spoke for two hours to local business owners and staff at IowaWORKS building in Creston, and explained healthcare in this country is changing dramatically right now and will continue to month by month over the next six years as legislators continue to add and delete regulations to the law.

But, while there is uncertainty, Patton said one thing is for sure — ACA will be costly. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated the 10-year cost for Obamacare will be $1.32 million. However, Patton said over the past three years, as legislators added regulations, the cost has continued to rise. Patton estimated before it's all said and done the 10-year projection will be close to $2 trillion.