On March 23, 2010, Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) into law. The law essentially states that several health care reforms are to take place over a four-year period with many of them being implemented in 2014. More American citizens will have access to not only health care, but also affordable health insurance options through this law. The American health care system has come under scrutiny in the last couple of decades for not measuring up to international standards, and the government has been criticized for not offering a public option. As a result, the government has signed this reform bill into law to try to keep Americans as healthy as possible. But some people are unfamiliar with the ACA timeline, which is important to know, so a summary is provided here.

2011

This year will see a number of changes coming from the Affordable Care Act. Small businesses will have a health insurance tax credit of up to 35 percent of the employer's contribution to employee health insurance policies. For non-profits, that credit is up to 25 percent of their contribution. Additionally, more states will be able to cover more people under Medicaid. That means that more people can take advantage of this health insurance option. For seniors who have reached the Medicaid prescription "donut hole", they will receive a rebate check for $250 (one-time) to help pay for prescriptions. The Early Retiree Reinsurance Program is set to go into effect in July 2011 and will give early retirees, those who don't have employer sponsored insurance but don't yet qualify for Medicaid, more insurance coverage.

2012

The ACA timeline states that incentives will be given to physicians to set up Accountable Care Organizations. These organizations will help reduce overall health care costs coordinating with each other to provide care for patients and reduce hospital visits. A new federal program meant to fight health disparities will also go into effect in which the collection and reporting of racial, ethnic and language data will take place. Paperwork and administrative costs will be reduced by standardizing billing and using an electronic records system.

2013

Funding will be given to state Medicaid programs in order to ensure more Americans are receiving preventative care. The government will also pay 100 percent of Medicaid payments in 2013 and 2014 so primary physicians can prepare to cover more Americans.

2014

Affordable Insurance exchanges will take place so that people can buy insurance if their employer doesn't offer it. Additionally, they can take any funds allocated by their employer for insurance and choose the coverage they want. By the end of 2014, more insurance options will be available to all Americans.