The Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, is a law passed in the United States in 2010 with the aim of expanding access to affordable healthcare for Americans. The law includes a range of provisions that affect how healthcare is delivered and paid for in the U.S.
Some of the key features of the ACA include:
- The creation of health insurance marketplaces where individuals and small businesses can shop for and purchase private health insurance plans.
- The expansion of Medicaid, a government-run health insurance program for low-income individuals, to cover more people.
- The requirement that most individuals have health insurance or face a penalty, known as the individual mandate. This provision has since been repealed.
- The prohibition of insurance companies from denying coverage or charging higher premiums to people with pre-existing conditions.
- The inclusion of various provisions aimed at reducing healthcare costs, such as requiring insurance companies to cover certain preventive services at no cost to patients.
The ACA has been a controversial law, with proponents arguing that it has expanded access to healthcare and made insurance more affordable for millions of Americans, while opponents argue that it represents government overreach and imposes undue costs on businesses and individuals.
