The “Affordable Care Act” (ACA) is the name for the comprehensive health care reform law and its amendments. It amended the Public Health Service Act of 1944. The law addresses health insurance coverage, health care costs, and preventive care. The law was enacted in two parts: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was signed into law on March 23, 2010 and was amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act on March 30, 2010. This is colloquially known as Obamacare.
The law has 3 primary goals:
The ACA's major provisions came into force in 2014. The law caused a significant reduction in the number and percentage of people without health insurance. By 2016, the uninsured share of the population had roughly halved, with estimates ranging from 20 to 24 million additional people covered.
The ACA has faced strong political opposition. Since its passage, legislators have voted to repeal all or parts of it more than sixty times. There have been numerous actions in federal courts to challenge its constitutionality; so far the Supreme Court has upheld the ACA three times.
Polls show that many people think the ACA and Obamacare are two separate laws which they are not.
A 2017 study found that the ACA reduced socioeconomic disparities in health care access. [Griffith, Kevin; Evans, Leigh; Bor, Jabob (2017). "The Affordable Care Act Reduced Socioeconomic Disparities In Health Care Access". Health Affairs. 36 (8): 1503-1510.]
Ten years after its enactment studies showed that the ACA also had a positive effect on health and caused a reduction in mortality. [Abby Goodnough; Reed Abelson; Margot Sanger-Katz; Sarah Kliff (2020). "Obamacare Turns 10. Here's a Look at What Works and Doesn't". The New York Times.]
The American Health Care Act of 2017 (often shortened to the AHCA or nicknamed Trumpcare) was passed in the House but not the Senate so it did not become law.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in several areas, including employment, transportation, public accommodations, communications and access to state and local government’ programs and services. It has been amended and challenged in court multiple times.
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or USFDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services.
It is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food safety, tobacco products, dietary supplements, prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceutical drugs (medications), vaccines, biopharmaceuticals, blood transfusions, medical devices, electromagnetic radiation emitting devices (ERED), cosmetics, animal foods & feed and veterinary products.
The Dodd-Frank Act, officially called the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, is legislation signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2010 in response to the financial crisis of 2008 that became known as the Great Recession. It established regulatory measures in the financial services industry to keep consumers and the economy safe from risky behavior by insurance companies and banks.
Medicaid is a federal and state program that helps with healthcare costs for people with low income and limited resources. It also offers benefits not normally covered by Medicare.
(Medicare is a federal program that provides health coverage if you are 65+ or under 65 and have a disability, no matter your income).