Public Health Nursing Practice Exam

What was one of the primary goals of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act?

1. Create a government-funded insurance program for all Americans.

2. Make health insurance affordable for the middle class and small businesses.

3. Decrease the rates of chronic disease in the United States.

4. Increase the funding for public health agencies.

The correct answer is: Make health insurance affordable for the middle class and small businesses.

The primary goal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), commonly known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), was indeed to make health insurance more affordable for middle-class families and small businesses. The law aimed to expand access to health insurance through various means, including the establishment of health insurance marketplaces (also referred to as exchanges) where individuals and small businesses could compare and purchase insurance plans. It also provided subsidies to help lower-income individuals and families afford coverage, thus significantly reducing the financial burden on middle-class households. Additionally, the ACA sought to implement reforms that would improve the quality of health care and enhance access to services while reducing overall health care costs. By focusing on affordability and accessibility, the legislation aimed to decrease the number of uninsured Americans and ensure that more people could receive necessary medical care without facing overwhelming financial hardship. Other options such as creating a government-funded insurance program for all, decreasing chronic disease rates, and increasing funding for public health agencies were not primary goals of the ACA. While those are important aspects of public health, the central emphasis of the ACA was on improving affordability and access to health insurance for individuals and families.