The Congressional Budget Office has concluded that the Affordable Care Act (ACA), signed into law by President Barack Obama in the spring of 2010, will more than pay for itself, provide coverage for 32 million uninsured Americans, and trim federal budget deficits by some $210 billion over the ten years ending in 2021. In this issue brief, Maggie Mahar synthesizes the relevant numbers and offers in-depth analysis of exactly how the ACA will both strengthen health insurance protections and save money.