What are some positive aspects of the Affordable Care Act?

Asked by: Aaron Walter  |  Last update: October 17, 2025
Score: 4.4/5 (11 votes)

The ACA helps cut high U.S. health care costs. In addition to increasing insurance coverage, the Affordable Care Act makes investments in programs designed to reduce the cost and improve the quality of health care.

How did the Affordable Care Act benefit people?

It did so by expanding Medicaid to people with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level (the poverty level in the continental U.S. is $15,060 for a single individual in 2024); creating new health insurance exchange markets through which individuals can purchase coverage and receive financial help to afford ...

Which is known to be a benefit of the Affordable Care Act?

Among other things, the ACA made it easier for many people to get coverage, removed annual and lifetime limits on essential health benefits and put in place requirements that individuals have medical coverage or pay a tax penalty.

What are 5 mandated benefits under the ACA?

The 10 categories of benefits in an EHB package are: 1) ambulatory patient services, 2) emergency services, 3) hospitalization, 4) maternity and newborn care, 5) mental health and substance use disorder services, 6) prescription drugs, 7) rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices, 8) lab services, 9) ...

What are ACA essential benefits?

The Affordable Care Act requires non-grandfathered health insurance coverage in the individual and small group markets to cover essential health benefits (EHB), which include items and services in at least the following ten benefit categories: (1) ambulatory patient services; (2) emergency services; (3) hospitalization ...

5 Things About The Affordable Care Act (ACA)

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Which five benefits are mandated by law?

Medicare and social security, unemployment insurance, workers' compensation, health insurance, and family and medical leave are all benefits that the federal government requires businesses to provide.

What are the cons of the Affordable Care Act?

It was also known that consumers would face a very different health insurance world under the ACA, with some people seeing their premiums go down and some seeing them go up, and the majority of Americans seeing higher deductibles, higher copays, and a smaller pool of providers.

Is the ACA good for the economy?

Lower long-term deficits due to the ACA will mean higher national saving, which will increase capital accumulation and reduce foreign borrowing, thereby making workers more productive and increasing national income and living standards over time. 4. Improving health and making workers more productive.

How many people benefited from the Affordable Care Act?

Of the 49.4 million people ever covered through the ACA Marketplace, 47.6 million were alive and living in the U.S. as of 2023, compared to a U.S. Census Bureau es mate of 334 million U.S. residents.

What are the impacts of the Affordable Care Act?

The ACA uses two primary approaches to increase access to health insurance: It expands access to Medicaid, based solely on income, for those with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level (FPL), and creates eligibility for those with incomes from 139% to 400% FPL to apply for subsidies [in the form of advance ...

Who benefited the most from the ACA?

The biggest winners from the law include people between the ages of 18 and 34; blacks; Hispanics; and people who live in rural areas.

How much is Obamacare a month for a single person?

Monthly premiums for Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace plans vary by state and can be reduced by premium tax credits. The average national monthly health insurance cost for one person on an Affordable Care Act (ACA) plan without premium tax credits in 2024 is $477.

What 3 things did the Affordable Care Act do?

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) has 3 main objectives: (1) to reform the private insurance market—especially for individuals and small-group purchasers, (2) to expand Medicaid to the working poor with income up to 133% of the federal poverty level, and (3) to change the way that medical decisions ...

In which three ways did the Affordable Care Act affect individuals?

The Affordable Care Act significantly impacted individuals by ensuring women were not charged more than men for health insurance (A), allowing access to insurance regardless of health status (B), and mandating that most individuals obtain health insurance (C). Therefore, the correct answers are A, B, and C.

Who is eligible for ACA benefits?

To be eligible to enroll in health coverage through the Marketplace, you must: Live in the United States (U.S). Be a U.S. citizen or national, or be lawfully present non-citizen in the U.S. Learn about eligible immigration statuses. Not be incarcerated.

What are the positive effects of the ACA?

Extensive research finds that people who gained coverage through the expansion have grown healthier and more financially secure, while long-standing racial inequities in health outcomes, coverage, and access to care have been reduced.

How did the Affordable Care Act change healthcare?

It did so by expanding Medicaid to people with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level (the poverty level in the continental U.S. is $15,060 for a single individual in 2024); creating new health insurance exchange markets through which individuals can purchase coverage and receive financial help to afford ...

How does the ACA help the poor?

Health insurance is expensive and can be difficult to afford for people with lower or moderate incomes. In response, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides sliding-scale subsidies that lower premiums and insurers offer plans with reduced out-of-pocket (OOP) costs for eligible individuals.

Who does not benefit from the Affordable Care Act?

Individuals with incomes exceeding 400 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL; $46,680 for an individual, $95,400 for a family of four) are ineligible for either Medicaid or Marketplace tax credits. This group represents 16 percent of the ineligible, uninsured population. 2.

What is the moral hazard of the Affordable Care Act?

In the context of health insurance, the term “moral hazard” is used to capture the idea that insurance coverage, by lowering the marginal cost of care to the individual (commonly referred to as the out-of-pocket cost), may increase healthcare use.

How does the Affordable Care Act affect my quality of care?

The ACA addresses concerns about quality of care in both direct and indirect ways, including the following: Accountability from insurance companies – The ACA requires insurance companies to spend 80%–85% of your health insurance premium dollars on healthcare and quality improvement or give you a rebate.

What are optional benefits?

Optional Benefits are supplemental benefits that employers can offer their employees. These benefits are not a requirement, but rather an option that employees can opt into. Employees can choose to pay for these extra benefits depending on their preferences and needs.

Is 32 hours full-time in California?

The standard definition of full-time hours in California is between 32 and 40 hours per week. However, it's important to note that after the implementation of the ACA, workers are considered part-time if they work less than 30 hours per week, and full-time if they work 30 hours a week or more.

What company has the best benefits to work for?

List Of 25 Companies With Best Employee Perks
  • Apple.
  • Airbnb.
  • Google.
  • Hubspot.
  • Netflix.
  • Spotify.
  • Starbucks.
  • The Body Shop.