President Barack Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law on March 20, 2010. Before this mandate, people with pre-existing conditions were often unable to obtain coverage healthcare. Controversy surrounded health care reform long before the enactment of the Affordable Care Act. While President Clinton's administration failed to overhaul the nation's health care system in 1993 with the Health Security Act, the Affordable Care Act was the reform most radical national reform since President Lyndon Johnson's Social Security Amendments Act created Medicare and Medicaid. Although this law has faced strong opposition, the Affordable Care Act will help Americans live healthier lifestyles while increasing their financial stability. Under the Affordable Care Act, also known as ObamaCare, insurance companies are no longer allowed to discriminate against individuals with underlying health conditions. Uninsured children with pre-existing conditions, such as cancer or diabetes, can now access health insurance plans. Not only are insurance companies now unable to deny health insurance plans for children hampered by pre-existing conditions, but it is no longer legal for insurers to deny coverage to adults based on their medical history. Before Congress passed this law, insurance companies could charge different prices for health insurance based on an individual's sex or health status. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, starting in 2014, has allowed every citizen to obtain health coverage, regardless of any previous medical condition (WebMD). ObamaCare also banned annual and lifetime limits that were often used by insurance companies as justification. for...... half of the document......3/09/23/not-affordable-care-act-avik-roy-editorials-debates/2858175/>."Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration ." The new national strategy paves the way for reducing suicide deaths. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, September 10, 2012. Web. April 16, 2014. Walsh, Michael. “US Veterans Commit Suicide at Alarming Rate: VA Study.” New York Daily News. NY Daily News, February 2, 2013. Web. April 16, 2014. .Walton, Alice G. “Why More Americans Suffer From Mental Disorders Than Anyone Else.” The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, October 4, 2011. Web. April 16. 2014. .
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