The Affordable Care Act or “Obamacare” was designed to ensure that all Americans, regardless of health status, have access to affordable health insurance. The Affordable Car Act became law on March 23, 2010. The primary goal of this act was to reduce barriers to obtaining health coverage and allow Americans to access needed health care services (Affordable Care Act Summary, n.d.). After the legislation is fully implemented in 2014, all Americans will be required to have health insurance through their employer, a public program such as Medicaid and/or Medicare, or by purchasing insurance through the health insurance marketplace (Affordable Care Act Summary, n.d.). . I will identify three parts of the Affordable Care Act that I think are important. First, I'll talk about the requirement that insurance companies can no longer deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. Second, I will explain why physician payments are being shifted toward value over volume. Finally, I will discuss Medicaid expansion and why some states are not expanding at all. Pre-existing conditions The Affordable Care Act introduced a plan that would allow Americans with pre-existing conditions to get health insurance without the hassle of being rejected or the fear of being charged higher premiums. The pre-existing condition insurance plan was effective July 1, 2010. It allowed patients access to affordable healthcare services they had previously been denied due to their pre-existing condition (Affordable Care Act Summary, n.d.). Patients had to be uninsured for at least six months before obtaining this form of health insurance. As of January 2014, PCIP plans no longer exist due to funding issues, so Amer...... middle of paper...... R., & Nicholson, J.L. (2010). Realizing the Potential of Health Reform: Young Adults and the Affordable Care Act of 2010. Commonwealth Fund. Holahan, J. (2012). The cost and coverage implications of the ACA Medicaid expansion: National and state-by-state analysis. Retrieved from urban.org Huntington, WV, Covington, LA, Center, P.P., & Manchikanti, L. (2011). Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010: Reforming healthcare reform for the new decade. Pain Doctor Miller, H. D. (2009). From volume to value: Better ways to pay for health care. Health AffairsSommers, B. D., & Epstein, A. M. (2010). Medicaid expansion: The soft underbelly of health care reform. New England Journal of MedicineWhere states take sides on Medicaid expansion. (2014, March 28). Retrieved April 20, 2014, from http://www.advisory.com/daily-briefing/resources/primers/medicaidmap