The new health care law states that everyone living in the United States is required to have health insurance at the beginning of January 1, 2014. Health insurance is extremely important in that it helps people protect their health and well-being, while reducing the risk of being left to pay extremely expensive health care bills. With the new law, other than being required to have health insurance, health plans that are offered to people who purchase their own insurance and those offered to employers who have 50 or less employees must include 10 core benefits, also known as essential health benefits. Many single people and working families that may encounter troubles attempting to pay for insurance may receive help from the government in covering health care costs. Also, Medicaid will expand and offer health plans to more people who are currently uninsured. Companies with 51 or more employees will be required to provide health insurance to all full-time employees or be forced to pay a shared responsibility payment to the federal government. People that are not offered or do not qualify for insurance covered by an employer will be required to purchase health insurance on their own. If a person refuses to obtain a health plan by 2014, they will have to pay either $95 or 1% of their taxable income, which ever is greater. On the bright side, no one can be denied coverage and a health plan can only be cancelled when the bill isn’t paid or fraud is committed. There are no annual or lifetime limits on what your health insurance will pay when charges are considered essential health benefits.