Which of the following statements best reflects a goal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act as described?

• A. Increasing access to health care for all individuals and instituting an individual mandate for health insurance
• B. Eliminating health insurance options
• C. Reducing government oversight of healthcare
• D. Ending employer-based insurance

Answer: (A)

The main idea being tested is expanding access to health insurance in a way that broadens coverage and stabilizes the market. The ACA aims to make insurance more available to more people, with tools like subsidies to make plans affordable, insurance marketplaces, and the expansion of Medicaid, all designed to reduce the number of uninsured. The individual mandate is described as a mechanism to encourage widespread participation in the insurance pool so costs are spread more evenly and premiums don’t rise as more people remain uninsured. Choices that propose eliminating options, cutting back government protections, or ending employer-based insurance would undermine this aim by reducing access, protections, or the channels through which people typically obtain coverage.