What legislation protects healthcare coverage and initiates healthcare reform?

The correct choice is the Affordable Care Act. This legislation, enacted in 2010, aimed to make healthcare more affordable and accessible, significantly reforming the healthcare landscape in the United States. It expanded Medicaid eligibility, established health insurance marketplaces, and included provisions to prevent insurance companies from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions. The Affordable Care Act also implemented various consumer protections and aimed to reduce the overall costs of healthcare.

While the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 is crucial for protecting patient information and ensuring the portability of health insurance coverage, it primarily focuses on privacy and security provisions for health information rather than comprehensive healthcare reform or coverage expansion. The Medicare Act of 2003 introduced prescription drug coverage for Medicare beneficiaries but did not address broader healthcare reforms. The Social Security Act, while foundational for many aspects of healthcare and welfare in the U.S., predates these specific reforms and focuses primarily on social security insurance and public assistance programs rather than comprehensive healthcare coverage reform.