Health care is sure to be a hot topic throughout 2013. With existing and upcoming effects from the Affordable Care Act, many Americans face changes when it comes to their health and their insurance plans. The law is confusing and the changes are complex. It’s important to understand how this law will affect your health care and what you personally need to do in the future.

“About 50 percent of the American population will have to make some type of choice in regard to their health plan coverage in the next year,” says Steven Zaleznick, lead of development at HealthPocket, an easy-to-use website offering unbiased health insurance options. “There are many important parts of the law, and some of those changes drastically affect how consumers purchase and use health insurance.”

Some important changes of the new health care law that directly affect consumers include: