You may have heard that health care reform is nothing more than a democratic agenda to socialize our current medical system, or that taxpayers will take the brunt of creating coverage for millions of uninsured Americans, or that people who are already insured will see a rise in premiums as a result of previously covered participants jumping ship to capitalize on the “public” option. Most of this is idle speculation and political chatter (with perhaps a kernel of truth at the core), but with the passage of health care reform finalized (and not looking to be overturned), you may be interested to know for certain what is on the horizon.

For starters, it’s not going to happen all at once. The first part of the plan will see somewhere in the neighborhood of one million currently uninsured Americans taking advantage of health care starting in 2011 (some for the first time) in an effort to reverse some of the damage our current economy has wrought on the job market (unemployment leads to loss of insurance in most cases). It’s not much, but it’s certainly a start, especially considering the ongoing recession. In the following years (the plan seems to be slated for expansion at least through 2014), this legislation will strive to offer health benefits to nearly 30 million people who currently have no medical coverage, as well as improve the policies of over 100 million others who are already insured.

But who, specifically, will benefit from these massive changes? One group that will realize a second chance at benefits (and life, in some cases) includes those who are unable to obtain coverage. Eventually, pre-existing conditions that halted many people from acquiring medical insurance will be a thing of the past as companies will necessarily accept anyone who applies for coverage. And a ban on lifetime limits means that those who have currently exhausted their coverage will be able to start again. Then there are minors who rely on their parents for coverage. Benefits for children covered by their parents’ insurance will be extended up to the age of 26 (not to mention, kids with medical conditions who were previously excluded from coverage will now be able to receive healthcare). In this way, the reforms will not only help those who are unable to purchase insurance (whatever the reason), but also those who already have it, making the system seem a lot more fair.

So the question you’re probably asking is: who’s going to pay for it? Well, to some extent, everyone. Employers who provide medical benefits may see an increase of only a couple of percentage points over the next few years, while others expect greater increases (tax credits presented in an effort to curb the drop-off of small businesses offering benefits have performed admirably). Taxpayers may also see a slight increase (although the amount is undisclosed at this point). And the people who take advantage of these new programs will also be expected to bear some of the cost, even if it is only minimal.

However, the benefits of this reform may outweigh the expenditures in the long run. There’s a good chance that initial costs will be nullified over time due to the fact that preventive care (and emergency coverage) will to some extent eliminate exorbitant costs that are currently sapping government resources and hospitals alike. Better coverage for more Americans means healthier citizens that need less care. And that’s something that we can all feel good about supporting (especially if it ends up saving the taxpayers money).

This article is written by a guest author. The views expressed in this article are the views of the guest author. This blog may or may not hold the same views. Kyle Simpson writes for Medical Coding Certification where you can find more information about a career and training in the medical field. Do you want to submit a guest blog post?