Final answer:
The correct answer is option 4) All of the above, as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) includes increased access to healthcare for the uninsured, expansion of Medicaid, and a prohibition on denying coverage due to pre-existing conditions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, introduced several key features aimed at reforming the U.S. healthcare system. Among these features are: increased access to healthcare for uninsured individuals, the expansion of Medicaid, and the prohibition of insurance companies from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions. Therefore, the correct answer to the student's question is option 4) All of the above.
The ACA's implementation significantly reduced the number of uninsured or underinsured people in the U.S., addressing the issue of skyrocketing healthcare costs. The expansion of Medicaid under the ACA made coverage available to more low-income individuals, while the provision that prohibited the denial of coverage due to pre-existing conditions ensured that more people could receive necessary medical care.
Additionally, the ACA included an individual mandate and provided subsidies to make insurance more affordable for those with lower incomes.