The Obama health care legacy: The origins, implementation, and effort to repeal the affordable care act of 2010

Abstract

Jill Quadagno and Daniel Lanford review the history and implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA), often called Obamacare. This historical breakthrough in public policy came in the first two years of President Obama’s term. Although the Republican Party opposed the Act and no Republican Congressperson voted for it, the law dramatically changed the United States health care system as well as the national narrative about whether health care is an appropriate entitlement. The chapter explains the origins of the ACA, reviews its implementation, and examines why the Republican attempt to repeal Obamacare met with very strong resistance.