This story was written by Evan Thomas and reported by Andrew Romano, Katie Connolly, Sarah Kliff, and Matthew Philips.
How will Obamacare affect you? At first, higher-income people may notice nothing more than a bigger tax bill, since the benefits of the legislation kick in over the next several years, while most of the taxes to pay for them begin immediately. Although conservatives like to say that Obamacare represents government takeover of health care, it mostly pushes people into private insurance plans. The measure's big innovation is to create health-insurance exchanges as its principal tool of expanding coverage while containing costs. These exchanges are virtual marketplaces in each state where individuals and people employed in small businesses pool their purchasing power to shop for plans. A look at how different groups will fare under the new law.
