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The NY Times has a quick rundown of what this new law will mean for most Americans. Check it out:

The uninsured are clearly the biggest beneficiaries of the legislation, which would extend the health care safety net for the lowest-income Americans.

The legislation is meant to provide coverage for as many as 32 million people who have been shut out of the market -- whether because insurers deem them too sick or because they cannot afford ever-rising insurance premiums.

For people already covered by a large employer -- most Americans, in other words -- the effect would not be as significant. And yet, just about everyone might benefit from tighter insurance regulations.

There would be costs to consumers, too. Affluent families would be required to pay additional taxes. Most Americans would be required to have health insurance and face federal penalties if they do not buy it. And it is still unclear what effect, if any, the legislation would have on rising out-of-pocket medical costs and premiums.

But there is no question that the legislation should benefit consumers in various ways. Beginning in 2014, for example, many employers -- those with 50 or more workers -- could face federal fines for not providing insurance coverage. Several of the other changes would take effect much sooner.

Here are some of the specifics for those soon-to-be-enacted changes:

blockquote>Six months after the legislation is enacted, many plans would be prohibited from placing lifetime limits on medical coverage, and they could not cancel the policies of people who fall ill. Children with pre-existing conditions could not be denied coverage.

Dependent children up to age 26 would be eligible for coverage under their parents' plans -- instead of the current state-by-state rules that often cut off coverage for children at 18 or 19.

And within three months of the law's taking effect, people who have been locked out of the insurance market because of a pre-existing condition would be eligible for subsidized coverage through a new high-risk insurance program.

In four years, we get this:

In 2014, people with pre-existing conditions could no longer be denied insurance, all lifetime and annual limits on coverage would be eliminated and new policies would be required to meet higher benefit standards.

Even sooner, in 2013, affluent families with annual income above $250,000 would be required to pay an additional 3.8 percent tax on their investment income, while contributing more to the Medicare program from their payroll taxes. And eventually, the most expensive insurance policies would be subject to a new tax.

You can drill down into the cost structure and regulations that will kick in starting in 2014 and beyond. It's highly recommended reading...

In addition, you can view this slide show of 18 other provisions that appear in the new law, one of which is our favorite:

Nutrient Content Disclosure:

Chain restaurants will be required to provide a "nutrient content disclosure statement" alongside their items. Expect to see calories listed both on in-store and drive-through menus of fast-food restaurants sometime soon.

Hip-Hip Hooray, for that one!

And finally, the Kaiser Family Foundation website is the absolute BEST site on the planet for all the gory details about this bill and what's to come. Check them out here - for the numbers, and here - for the latest press releases.

And this 13 page .pdf from that kff.org details pretty clearly all the big ideas in this bill, from the individual mandate to employer requirements, from "premium and cost-sharing subsidies to individuals and employers" to tax changes, from cost containment to prevention/wellness. It's a fabulous .pdf that acts as a go-to guide to how this bill will work (and what you might think needs improving in this bill).

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