It was a missed opportunity for the benefits industry and for people frustrated with PPACA.

People are living under a rock: The last couple weeks all I feel like I've been doing is writing stories about survey after survey that underscores the ongoing confusion over PPACA (while, of course, also stressing the challenges the administration has in getting Americans signed up for coverage under the law.)

Some highlights:

• Bankrate found that more than half of Americans (55 percent) still don't know that the deadline to sign up for health insurance under PPACA is March 31. About one in four Americans (24 percent) incorrectly think the deadline already passed on Jan. 1. And 11 percent think they have until Dec. 31 to sign up, a full nine months after the deadline.
• Kaiser Family Foundation found that large shares of the uninsured are STILL unaware of major provisions of the law that could affect them. Almost half have no idea about the subsidies and the same amount doesn't know it gives states the option of expanding their Medicaid programs and prohibits carriers from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions.
• Stats from Enroll America — ironically a nonprofit whose sole purpose is to educate Americans about PPACA — are even worse. They found a whopping seven in 10 uninsured adults haven't yet visited their exchange, and 72 percent of the uninsured are still unaware that tax subsidies are available.

There's a lot that can be said about these numbers — and how bad it makes the administration look — but I'd like to ask this question first: Who are these people being surveyed? Is the entire country living under a rock?

At the very least you'd think they'd get a clue something important is up when a bunch of people keep calling them to ask them about the same law.

"Are you aware of the subsidies offered under PPACA?"

"Are you aware you have to buy health insurance or pay a penalty?"

So none of these people are asking what these things are and mean after they say no? They aren't in the least bit curious?!

More education needed: With that being said, there still needs to be a significant jump in education efforts regarding PPACA. And Obama knows it: if all the crappy polls aren't an indication, he practically begged young people to sign up for his law Tuesday night.

Say what you want about the law, but administration officials know they're well short of its targets — and the (well, maybe small) percentage of people who understand the law are paying attention to that.

There's a lot more to be done — and benefits experts agree, too.

"Considering the number of Americans affected by PPACA, I would not consider the few argumentative comments that were spoken by either side to be enough education on what is still needed," said Kevin Davis, advisor at Lacher & Associates in Philadelphia. "If young and healthy uninsureds don't sign up and we end up needing insurance company bailouts, I would say leaving that unsaid is a fairly big issue that needs to be addressed. Also, informing Americans about the need for wellness would have been a unifying issue that should be openly discussed in my opinion."

Looking back on it, it's been a depressing week for writing about PPACA. It makes me happy I'm going on vacation next week.