With the United States in the grips of a pandemic that will surely test our health care system, it’s worth reflecting on how the law that is now deeply woven into the fabric of American health care came to be.

It took a monumental effort to pass the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, which turns 10 years old this month. But because of it, no American can be denied health insurance for having a preexisting medical condition. And 20 million people who previously lacked coverage now have it.

On the latest episode of The Dose, the Commonwealth Fund’s Elizabeth Fowler — one of the key architects of Obamacare — talks about the behind-the-scenes effort it took to get the law passed. 

Listen, and then subscribe wherever you find your podcasts.