Final answer:
Healthcare reform known as RomneyCare in Massachusetts was the model for the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, a substantial overhaul of the U.S. healthcare system designed to provide affordable insurance and lower healthcare costs, despite facing significant political opposition.
Step-by-step explanation:
Healthcare reform in Massachusetts, more commonly known as RomneyCare, effectively served as the model that shaped what the Affordable Care Act would become. The 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), or Obamacare, represents a significant reform of the U.S. healthcare system, intending to provide all Americans with access to affordable health insurance, mandating that everyone in the United States acquire some form of health insurance, and aiming to lower the costs of healthcare.
Much of the ACA was drawn from proposals developed at the state level by former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. Despite the bipartisan beginnings of these healthcare ideas, the ACA faced strong political opposition, which led to numerous lawsuits and the rise of the Tea Party movement. Yet, it remained largely intact after Supreme Court decisions upheld the law.