Which of the following is a primary purpose of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)?
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Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why A is correct
The PPACA's core legislative purposes are to expand access to affordable health coverage, prohibit discriminatory practices such as denying coverage for preexisting conditions, guarantee the availability of coverage, and add consumer protections such as minimum benefit standards and rate oversight. It accomplished these goals through the individual and small group exchanges, premium tax credits, cost-sharing reductions, essential health benefits, and the individual coverage requirement. It neither eliminated private insurance nor replaced state regulation; state-based exchanges and state insurance departments continue to operate the market, as seen with Covered California.
Why the other options are wrong
- B) PPACA preserves and regulates private health insurance; it does not create a single-payer system.
- C) Multiple plan tiers and products remain available; there is no single standardized plan.
- D) States retain regulatory authority and operate the exchanges, as California demonstrates.
Memory hook
PPACA builds more doors into coverage and outlaws the old denial tricks.