What are two major ways the Affordable Care Act has improved the US health system?

Asked by: June Towne  |  Last update: September 13, 2025
Score: 4.7/5 (62 votes)

Affordable Care Act (ACA)
  • Make affordable health insurance available to more people. ...
  • Expand Medicaid to cover all adults with income below 138% of the FPL. ...
  • Support innovative medical care delivery methods designed to lower the costs of health care generally.

What are two major benefits 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.

How has the ACA improved health care?

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 ...

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 3 ways did the Affordable Care Act affect individuals?

How does health care reform affect me?
  • If you get sick, an insurance company cannot cancel your policy.
  • Health insurance companies cannot turn down your application because of your health status.
  • Women can no longer be charged more for insurance than men.

The Affordable Care Act: Understanding Health Care Reform

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How did the Affordable Care Act impact healthcare in this country?

Since 2010, The ACA has given more than 40 million Americans access to health care, expanded Medicaid to 40 states to cover 21 million low-income adults under 65, and protected as many as 133 million (Opens in a new tab) with pre-existing conditions from losing their health insurance.

What are the four major components of the Affordable Care Act quizlet?

The four major components of the ACA are expanding Medicaid, preventing insurance companies from denying or increasing the cost of coverage to sick people, requiring all Americans to have health insurance, and requiring large companies to provide health insurance to employees.

What are the major goals of the Affordable Care Act?

The law has 3 primary goals:
  • Make affordable health insurance available to more people. ...
  • Expand Medicaid to cover all adults with income below 138% of the FPL. ...
  • Support innovative medical care delivery methods designed to lower the costs of health care generally.

What is the biggest problem with the Affordable Care Act?

Impact on Individual Insurance

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.

What are 5 of the essential health benefits provided by the Affordable Care Act?

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) ...

How does the Affordable Care Act affect public health?

The law will result in health insurance coverage for about 94% of the American population, reducing the uninsured by 31 million people, and increasing Medicaid enrollment by 15 million beneficiaries. Approximately 24 million people are expected to remain without coverage.

How has ACA helped 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.

What are some of the possible advantages and disadvantages of a managed care insurance plan?

The Pros and Cons of a Managed Care Arrangement
  • An Introduction to Managed Care Arrangements. ...
  • Pro: Limit Time Away from Work. ...
  • Pro: Easy to Find Credentialed Care Providers. ...
  • Con: Lack of Freedom to Choose Own Providers. ...
  • Con: Concerns Regarding Quality of Care.

How has the ACA improved quality of care?

Improvements in community health centers – The ACA also provides for improving the quality of our care by strengthening the nation's network of community health centers and testing new methods for delivering services, for example, coordinating care among physicians and community resources.

What did Obama do for health care?

The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and informally as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010.

How does the Affordable Care Act make healthcare more affordable?

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 ...

Who benefits most from the Affordable Care Act?

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

What are the pros and cons of the Affordable Care Act?

The pros of the ACA include prohibiting insurance companies from denying coverage based on health history and providing subsidies to reduce premiums and out-of-pocket costs. The cons of the ACA include small business challenges and limited provider options in some regions.

What are the three biggest issues in healthcare today?

So, let's hop on a journey to explore the 7 biggest challenges of the healthcare industry!
  • Rising Costs of Healthcare Services.
  • Financial Challenges for Providers.
  • Shortage of Healthcare Professionals.
  • The Need for Improved Mental Health Systems.
  • Increased Demand for Personalized Care.
  • Big Data and Cybersecurity Issues.

What are the two main parts of the Affordable Care Act?

The law has 2 parts: the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act. Full Text of the Affordable Care Act and Reconciliation Act (PDF – 2.6 MB) This is not the official version, and we provide it for your convenience.

How did the Affordable Care Act help?

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a comprehensive reform law, enacted in 2010, that increases health insurance coverage for the uninsured and implements reforms to the health insurance market. This includes many provisions that are consistent with AMA policy and holds the potential for a better health care system.

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 were the 3 goals of the Affordable Care Act?

Overview of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)

The Triple Aim goals are: improve patient care, improve population health, and reduce the cost of health care.

What does the ACA include?

It applies to people aged 16 and over. It covers decisions about day-to-day things like what to wear or what to buy for the weekly shop, or serious life-changing decisions like whether to move into a care home or have major surgery. Examples of people who may lack capacity include those with: dementia.

What are three of the factors that have led to increasing health care costs?

1) An increased number of uninsured individuals. 2) The cost of prescription drugs. 3) A system of older medical procedures.