A federal statute signed into law on March 23, 2010, and which was later amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (HCERA). Collectively, PPACA and HCERA are referred to as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or health care reform.

For analysis of the ACA's requirements, see the Practice Note, Affordable Care Act (ACA): Overview and Affordable Care Act (ACA) Toolkit.