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WGU D223 – UKM2 – Performance Assessment Task 2
D223 – UKM2 – Performance Assessment Task 2
Elisha Cochran
College of Health Professions, Western Governors University
D223: Healthcare Policy and Economics
Dr. Susie Perez
JULY 27, 2026
, 2
WGU D223 (V2) TASK 2 – UKM1 – PERFORMANCE
ASSESSMENT 2 | ACCURATE AND VERIFIED
2026|2027
Federal Healthcare Law Analysis
A1: Federal Healthcare Law
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), though enacted in 2010, is a landmark federal
healthcare legislation that has strongly affected patient care and healthcare delivery in the United
States (Levine et al., 2022). The ACA aimed to increase health insurance coverage for millions
of Americans. It primarily focused on those with low-to-moderate incomes and was enacted by
expanding Medicaid eligibility and subsidizing some costs of private insurance premiums
purchased through health insurance marketplaces. It also introduced essential health benefits that
insurance plans must cover, including preventive services, maternity care, and mental health
services. The ACA has been linked with enhanced healthcare utilization, especially for people
with reduced incomes. Accessibility research has also shown that the ACA has enhanced the use
of beneficial diagnostic and preventive services, encouraged better consumer satisfaction, and
decreased consumer direct costs for many consumers. ACA has also brought down the rate of
hitting the Wall to a historically low uninsured rate. Through it, it has shifted the focus of access
to health care services in the United States to not only go for health care that causes financial
distress.
A2. Legislation Functionality
WGU D223 – UKM2 – Performance Assessment Task 2
D223 – UKM2 – Performance Assessment Task 2
Elisha Cochran
College of Health Professions, Western Governors University
D223: Healthcare Policy and Economics
Dr. Susie Perez
JULY 27, 2026
, 2
WGU D223 (V2) TASK 2 – UKM1 – PERFORMANCE
ASSESSMENT 2 | ACCURATE AND VERIFIED
2026|2027
Federal Healthcare Law Analysis
A1: Federal Healthcare Law
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), though enacted in 2010, is a landmark federal
healthcare legislation that has strongly affected patient care and healthcare delivery in the United
States (Levine et al., 2022). The ACA aimed to increase health insurance coverage for millions
of Americans. It primarily focused on those with low-to-moderate incomes and was enacted by
expanding Medicaid eligibility and subsidizing some costs of private insurance premiums
purchased through health insurance marketplaces. It also introduced essential health benefits that
insurance plans must cover, including preventive services, maternity care, and mental health
services. The ACA has been linked with enhanced healthcare utilization, especially for people
with reduced incomes. Accessibility research has also shown that the ACA has enhanced the use
of beneficial diagnostic and preventive services, encouraged better consumer satisfaction, and
decreased consumer direct costs for many consumers. ACA has also brought down the rate of
hitting the Wall to a historically low uninsured rate. Through it, it has shifted the focus of access
to health care services in the United States to not only go for health care that causes financial
distress.
A2. Legislation Functionality
