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UPPER PENINSULA -- For a child with a pre-existing condition, it's a welcome change in the law.  But some private insurers and those comfortable with their current policies say it may be a headache waiting to happen.

The new health care model affects everyone.  The only differences lie in when you will ultimately be affected.

Signed into law by President Obama in March, changes began taking place right away.

There are four important changes to note when it comes to this health care plan:

  -those with Medicare will be receiving a rebate for drug costs

  -coverage will be expanded for young adults

  -all discrimination against pre-existing conditions will be prohibited

  -certain small businesses qualify for a tax credit

All of those changes have already taken effect within the past six months.

So let's get specific on each of these changes:

One:  those Medicare rebates will go to approximately four-million seniors who will reach the gap in Medicare prescription drug coverage this year, and each such senior will receive a $250 rebate over the course of a year.

Two:  young adults will be allowed to stay on their parent's plan until they turn 26 years old.

Three:  if you have a pre-existing condition and you've been denied insurance because of it, health coverage will now be available to you.

And four:  small businesses with less than 25 employees that pay under a specific amount, can receive tax credits.

"What we're going to hopefully do, and I think we will, is to get our consumers, our patients, healthier, and therefore reduce the cost of health care," says Gary Muller, FACHE, Superior Health Partners President and CEO/President of MGH.

Also, if your new insurance plan began on or after September 23, you're now entitled to free preventive care, like mammograms ... insurance companies can no longer deny coverage to children under age 19 with a pre-existing condition, like asthma ... and it's now illegal to impose lifetime dollar limits on essential benefits, like hospital stays.

Starting next year, seniors will see more benefits, too, like prescription drug discounts, free preventive care, and improved care after they leave the hospital.

"It'll be a transition.  You know, we're talking over the next five to ten years, so it's nothing immediate, but people need to find their primary care doctor," Muller adds.

But the biggest question with this law is will it truly bring down health care costs?

The law describes itself as making insurance more affordable, but insurance agents say that may not be the case.

"Those types of things cost money, so the average cost of health insurance is going to go up about three to five percent, and then there are quite a few hidden taxes within the next three years that everybody's going to be charged for," says St. Onge insurance agent Brian Miller.

Perhaps the most dramatic change of all?  By 2014, everyone is mandated to be covered under some sort of health insurance plan.

If you still have questions about the Affordable Care Act, you can visit the government's website.