Twelve years ago, President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) into law, sparking a sea change in HRSA’s ability to provide equitable access to high-quality health care to the populations we serve.
Over the past 12 years, we have expanded the health center program to more than 14,000 service delivery sites, tripled the number scholarships and loan repayment awards for clinicians working in underserved areas, and provided millions of voluntary home visits for families with young children thanks to this transformational law.
As a result of the ACA, we have also produced the first-ever federal agency-wide strategy to address intimate partner violence, made essential women’s preventive health services available – at no cost – to 58 million women nationwide, and strengthened the safety net of HIV care and treatment services for more than half a million people with HIV.
And the ACA’s expansion of health insurance coverage to 14.5 million people through the Marketplaces and nearly 15 million more through Medicaid has been a game-changer for our mission of achieving health equity and improving health outcomes for underserved populations across the country.
While the ACA made all of these extraordinary advances possible, the heroic efforts of HRSA employees is what made them a reality. The impact for the people and communities we serve over the past 12 years have been profound. On this anniversary, and every day, I am so proud to be your colleague in this work.
Other Resources
- Affordable Care Act (ACA) Anniversary webpage
- HHS Press Release: Ahead of Anniversary, Secretary Becerra and HHS Leaders Celebrate Twelve Years of the Affordable Care Act Advancing Health Equity for All Americans
- Fact Sheet: Celebrating the Affordable Care Act
- ACA Briefing Book: The Affordable Care Act and Its Accomplishments