Final answer:
Managed care focuses on cost management, efficiency, and quality, featuring provider networks and preventive care. The 1980s and 1990s were marked by healthcare provider consolidation and the emergence of HMOs in response to increased healthcare demand. The ACA enactment in 2010 represented significant government involvement aimed at improving healthcare accessibility and affordability.
Step-by-step explanation:
Managed care is a system of health care delivery designed to manage cost, utilization, and quality. Key features of managed care include a network of providers that patients are required to use, preauthorization for major medical services, a focus on preventive care, and utilization reviews to manage costs and resources efficiently.
During the 1980s and 1990s, significant changes occurred in the healthcare landscape. In response to rising healthcare costs and increased demand, stemming from an aging and less healthy population, a movement towards consolidation of healthcare providers took place. The 1990s saw a 'merger mania' where local hospitals and small medical practices were acquired by larger systems. This was also the era that saw the start of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, a significant global health setback. Concurrently, alternative models of health care, such as HMOs, became popular, which involve medical care providers being reimbursed based on patient enrollment rather than services provided, shifting the focus to resource management and preventative care.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, was a response to the increasing involvement of the government in healthcare and the quest for more comprehensive universal health care. Debated and enacted in 2010, the ACA aimed to reduce the number of uninsured Americans, improve health care standards, and reduce healthcare costs.