The Affordable Care Act (ACA) covers areas such as individual and employer mandates, cost-sharing subsidies, and private insurance. Individual mandate holds that citizens must carry health insurance or pay a tax penalty. This was instituted to increase insurance adoption but was federally removed in 2019. The employer mandate of the ACA requires employers who have fifty or more employees to provide them with affordable health insurance or will be subject to penalties. The Act also has comprehensive cost-sharing subsidies, which are also known as cost-sharing reductions.
This provision allows people with an income of up to 250% of the federal poverty level to enroll in a robust health plan. This plan affects patient care since it covers more benefits than was the standard before then, including, heart surgery and cancer treatment. Finally, the Affordable Care Act has provisions that pertain to private insurance that affects patient care. For instance, the act removed the preexisting condition exclusion and increased the age of dependent coverage to twenty-six years. Ultimately, passing the ACA has helped reform healthcare in the US.