Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

Before President Barack Obama signed the Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) into law in March 2010, millions of Americans faced the challenge of not being able to afford quality insurance. Many with plans struggled with mounting health care costs due to increasing prescription drugs, less competition between providers due to mergers, and employers shouldering less of the financial burden for their employees’ insurance. While government leaders, particularly Democrats, had advocated for universal health care since the 1940s, attempts to introduce reform measures met with failure, most notably the Clinton health care plan of 1993, a reform package that met overwhelming opposition from conservatives. But the economic downturn of the Great Recession coupled with the continued difficulties faced by many Americans when it came to affording health insurance provided the Obama campaign with a key plank in its platform during the 2008 election. When Obama won the presidency, Democratic majorities in the Senate and House allowed for the passage of a bill related to comprehensive health reform despite recontinued resistance and vocal criticism from Republicans.