On March 21, 2010, the United States House of Representatives passed <a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:h.r.3590:" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">H.R. 3590</a>, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Also passed was <a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:h.r.04872:" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">H.R. 4872</a>, the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act, <span id="more-1214"></span>which contains additional refinements. Historically speaking, these two bills are perceived to be as important as the creation of the Medicare program.