Affordable Care Act

Legal Studies 101

Commerce Clause and the Affordable Care Act

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010 was signed into law on March 23, 2010 and a number of provisions have already gone into effect and still others are scheduled to be implemented over the next four years (Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation sec. 2). Probably the most controversial provision is the requirement that Americans who chose not to purchase health insurance will be assessed an annual penalty for 'opting-out.' The so-called 'individual mandate' will be phased in over a period of three years, from 2014 to 2016, and individuals or families can 'purchase' the right to live without health insurance using a flat rate or percent income plan. The flat rate plan will increase over the three-year phase-in period and will eventually range from $695 to $2,085 per year. The percent income plan will increase from...
[ View Full Essay]