Direct from Wikipedia: The Affordable Care Act was designed to increase health insurance quality and affordability, lower the uninsured rate by expanding insurance coverage and reduce the costs of healthcare. It introduced mechanisms including mandates, subsidies and insurance exchanges. The law requires insurers to accept all applicants, cover a specific list of conditions and charge the same rates regardless of pre-existing conditions or sex. That's quite a bit more extensive then you portray it to be. The truth about healthcare premiums is they'd be a lot higher without Obamacare