The Affordable Care Act: Background and Analysis (Editorial‪)‬

My editorial for this issue is based on remarks I made as part of a panel on "Implications of Health Care Reform on the Social Work Profession." The Social Work Caucus of the U.S. House of Representatives sponsored this event. Representative Edolphus Towns (D-NY), a social worker and supporter of issues of concern to our profession, convened the event. My fellow panelists were James R. Zabora, dean of the National Catholic University School of Social Service; Robyn Golden, director of older adult programs at the Rush University Medical Center; Kevin J. Mahoney, a professor at the Boston College Graduate School of Social Work; and Asua Ofosu, manager of government relations for NASW. In this editorial I provide a brief review of the history of efforts for health care reform, with particular mention of the role of social workers, and address two key components of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), expanding coverage and controlling costs.