The Simple Reader’s Guide to Understanding the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Health Care Reform

Dedication:
Since the beginning of ACA in 2010, I have noticed that more and more people I meet don’t understand this massive piece of legislation. I wrote this book to empower readers, so they understand the basics of this monumental health care law. I dedicate this book to all of the readers who have taken the first step to understand ACA Health Care Reform by reading my book. It will take some time to understand, but I promise you that if you read this book, you will be well on your way to understanding what and how the ACA will change the way the United States provides Health care.
I also dedicate this book to those who our dear to my heart my amazing husband Michael J. Todaro Jr., my family and my friends.
Thank you for your love and support.
Love,
Denecia A. Jones

Dear Readers,
ACA changes the way Americans receive health care by offering more competition and choice for families to make the best decision about the policies they think will best serve their needs. Americans who have pre-existing conditions and changed carriers or jobs will now be allowed to get access to care and can’t be denied care based on those conditions. Seniors will receive billions of dollars in savings in prescription drug costs as a result of ACA, and many low income families who previously couldn’t afford care will be able to get subsidies to help their families get the best care possible.
Americans can help with the ACA by first making sure they take the time to read and learn about all of the benefits the law provides for all Americans. The worst thing to do is to buy into the demagoguery used against the legislation by those looking to score political points. Americans should make sure they are informed and reach out to make sure they are taking advantage of all of the benefits ACA provides.
Sincerely,
Karen Bass
Congresswoman representing California’s 37th District

History of U.S. Health Care Reform
In this book you will learn about the history of health care reform and how the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will change health care in the United States. In order to understand the ACA Health Reform, I will first discuss the history of health care reform in the United States.
In this book you will learn about the history of health care reform and how the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will change health care in the United States. In order to understand the ACA Health Reform, I will first discuss the history of health care reform in the United States.
Prior to the 1960s, seniors and the disabled did not receive health care to treat their health conditions because insurance plans were expensive and unaffordable to most. To fill the major void in the health care system, John F. Kennedy publicly discussed the concept of Medicare and Medicaid programs in 1962. With public support, Lyndon B. Johnson signed the amendment to the social security act, TITLE XVIII—Health Insurance For The Aged And Disabled, to the Social Security Act to add Medicare into our national health care system in 1965.
What is the difference between the Medicare and Medicaid? Medicare is our public health program that insures senior citizens and disabled people. Medicaid is our public health program that insures lower income individuals and their dependents as well as people with certain disabilities.

Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) Act of 1973
In 1973, President Richard Nixon signed the Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) Act of 1973. President Nixon helped fund the growth of the HMO system in the U.S. because he wanted to give Americans health insurance plan options. In President Nixon’s statement on signing the HMO Act of 1973, he stated, “Health maintenance organizations provide health care to their members on a prepaid basis with emphasis on essential preventive services. The establishment of HMO’s will allow people to select for themselves either a prepaid system for obtaining health services or the more traditional approach which has served the American people so well over the years.” In the 1980s, HMOs plan options were a very popular plan design with employers. Today, the employer and individual plan market prefers PPO health insurance over HMO.

Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA)
Prior to the 1990s, employees who decided to leave their employer were not able to take their health insurance plans with them. For those individuals who had an illness or had dependents who were ill on the insurance plans, getting health insurance coverage elsewhere was not an option. In the individual and family health insurance market, if someone had an illness and did not have insurance to cover expenses, insurance carriers declined to offer them coverage. In other words, the healthy could get health insurance coverage after they were removed from their employer plan, and the ill were left in the cold. Because of this loophole in the health care system, the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) was signed into law in 1996. COBRA requires employers to extend group health benefits to employees who may no longer work for the company but who still want to maintain and pay for their health insurance plans. I cannot imagine a world without COBRA and wonder how the ill workforce survived when their group plan coverage ended.