The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been a controversial topic since its introduction and continues to be discussed by politicians in the United States and around the world, even after its adoption. The law faces many opponents and sparks much controversy nationally, primarily because it results in higher health care costs for wealthier citizens. Nevertheless, the ACA is an important step in the process of health care development in the United States, as it will not only allow more people to benefit from health services, but also reduce the deficit. However, not everyone agrees. The policy is controversial in terms of costs versus benefits, but the benefits ultimately outweigh the costs. One section of the ACA requires every U.S. citizen to purchase a health insurance plan. During the 2008 presidential election, Barack Obama promised that health insurance would be accessible to all. The ACA is the legislative manifestation of this promise and was signed into law in 2010, largely taking effect in the fall of 2013. The law was designed to change the existing health care system in the United States for decades (Lieberman 45). Each of the different changes introduced by the ACA aims to achieve part of the main goal of providing health insurance to 30 million middle-class Americans (Dunn 47). The ACA also gives more poor people the opportunity to receive care in hospitals. Under previous Medicaid guidelines, many low-income people did not have incomes low enough to qualify for health care coverage, even if they could not afford their own care. The new law targets all segments of the population, bringing more benefits to the poor and middle classes. For the middle class, the law is supposed to provide people with a... middle of paper ...... small sacrifices, mainly from the rich, which translate into huge gains for the middle classes and weak. American income. Works cited Alim, Samy and Smithermna, Geneva. Articulating While Black: Barack Obama, Language and Race in the United States Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2012. PrintDunn, Charles. The presidency in the 21st century. Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky, 2011. Print. Edwards, George. Overcoming: Leadership under the Obama presidency. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2012. Print. Lepore, Jill. The Whites of Their Eyes: The Tea Party Revolution and the Battle for American History. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2011. PrintLepore, Jill. The History of America: Essays on Origins. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2012. Print Lieberman, Jethro. Liberalism stripped naked. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2012. Print