The main goal is to increase access of health care and make it more affordable, mainly for those who were previously uninsured. All US citizens and legal residents are required to have health insuance or pay a fine. The two main avenues that covers the unisured are expansion of Medicaid and purchase of subsidized private health insurance through government-ran exchanges.
Insurance companies are required to include coverage for a variety of health care services. ACA fails to achieve universal coverage and may also not successfully achieve access for a large segment of the US population. It promises to shift focus from disease treatment to disease prevention and improved health outcome, however, additional responsibilities are placed on providers to deliver services in a more coordinated manner while improving the quality of care.
