Resources: The Historical Journey of the ACA

October 2, 2020

By Garrett Hall and Sandra Hernandez

The Historical Journey of the Affordable Care Act

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) is the comprehensive health care legislation signed into law by President Obama on March 23, 2010. The ACA’s wide-ranging health care system reforms included expanding Medicaid (Medi-Cal), protecting individuals with pre-existing health conditions, prohibiting annual and lifetime caps on insurance coverage, requiring coverage of essential health benefits, and mandating individuals acquire a minimum level of insurance coverage. Provisions of the ACA were implemented in California beginning in 2014. Under the ACA, California cut the number of uninsured in the state by half and embarked on reforms and system transformations touching all aspects of the state’s health care delivery system, including creating the state’s ACA marketplace, Covered California.

Since the ACA was enacted, the landmark legislation has faced challenges in both Congress and the courts, with the latest effort failing to pass the Senate in 2017. Currently, California’s reform progress, and progress around the country, is at risk as the ACA heads to the Supreme Court once again on November 10, 2020, in California v. Texas.

This page provides necessary context into what’s at stake for Californians with the historical and current legal and legislative challenges to the ACA.

Key ITUP Historical References on the Challenges to the ACA

ITUP has written extensively about the ACA and while the legislation has changed since these blogs and publications, the following provide a glimpse into the chaotic battle of maintaining the ACA since 2016.

Key Resources on the Future of the ACA

ITUP has compiled the following resources on what’s at stake for Californians and the nation if the ACA is overturned in California v. Texas on November 10, 2020.