The health care reform law will expand access to insurance and broaden insurance benefits. Everyone can sign up, including those with pre-existing medical conditions. These new benefits bring new costs. Financial assistance will be available to help qualifying individuals and families pay for coverage. Even with this new assistance, the new benefits will cause some people who currently have insurance to pay more than they do today.

Individuals who receive coverage from a large employer are unlikely to see big changes, but many who purchase coverage on their own or get it through a small employer will see significant changes to their benefits and costs. Those changes will affect people differently, depending on where they live, what coverage they have today, and their age, health, gender and income.