This guide first appeared on the Center for American Progress on May 23, 2013. Please visit that site to read more, view the citations, and learn more about the Affordable Care Act. President Barack Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or ACA, into law on March 23, 2010. Many Americans have already benefited from the ACA, and millions more will benefit as the law fully comes into effect. By January 1, 2014, the law’s provisions will be underway, ensuri