Which of the following is NOT an essential component of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)?

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was designed to expand access to health insurance and improve health care quality in the United States. Among its essential components, providing coverage for preventive services without cost sharing is critical, as it encourages individuals to seek preventive care and ultimately leads to better health outcomes. Establishing minimum standards for health insurance coverage helps ensure that all plans offer a baseline of essential services, which is fundamental to protecting consumers. Prohibiting annual and lifetime limits on essential health benefits is important in ensuring that individuals do not face financial ruin due to high medical costs, as this ensures lifelong access to necessary care.

On the other hand, the elimination of tax credits for low-income individuals is not an essential component of the ACA. In fact, the ACA includes provisions to provide tax credits to low-income individuals and families to make health insurance more affordable, thereby encouraging enrollment in coverage. The absence of tax credits would contradict the goals of the ACA, which aims to increase accessibility to health care for those who might otherwise not afford it. Therefore, this option does not align with the fundamental tenets of the ACA.