“Obamacare” is a colloquial term used to refer to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), a federal law enacted in 2010 under President Barack Obama’s administration. The ACA aimed to reform the U.S. healthcare system by expanding access to affordable health insurance and improving the quality and affordability of healthcare services.

Some of the key features of the ACA include the establishment of health insurance exchanges (also known as marketplaces), where individuals and small businesses can purchase health insurance; the expansion of Medicaid to cover more low-income individuals; the requirement that individuals have health insurance or pay a penalty (known as the individual mandate, which has since been repealed); and the prohibition of insurance companies from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions.

The ACA has been the subject of much debate and controversy since its enactment, with some praising its efforts to improve access to healthcare and others criticizing its cost and the extent of government involvement in healthcare.