The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act<span>, often shortened to the </span>Affordable Care Act<span> (</span>ACA<span>) or nicknamed Obamacare, is a </span>United States<span> federal statute </span>enacted<span> by the 111th </span>United States<span> Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The term "Obamacare" was first used by opponents </span>