What significant change in health insurance coverage did the ACA enforce regarding annual limits?

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) implemented a significant change by prohibiting annual limits on essential health benefits. This was a critical reform aimed at ensuring that individuals and families have access to necessary medical care without the risk of encountering caps on benefits throughout the year. Prior to the ACA, many insurance plans could impose annual limits on how much they would pay for essential health services, which often led to unexpected costs for consumers when they reached these limits.

By removing these annual limits, the ACA aimed to enhance the security and predictability of health coverage for consumers. This change helps to ensure that individuals can receive comprehensive care for various medical needs without the fear of exceeding a predetermined financial cap. This reform supports the broader objectives of the ACA, which include increasing access to healthcare and improving the quality of insurance coverage.

The other options do not align with the ACA's provisions regarding annual limits on essential health benefits.