After a close five-vote margin in the House of Representatives, President Barack Obama signed the Health Care Reform bill into law on March 23. The bill aims to lower exorbitant health insurance prices and reduce the national deficit.

Health Care Reform goes into effect in two major stages: the first part becomes effective September 23, 2010, the second part four years later, on January 1, 2014.

Going into effect in the first stage, insurers will be required to allow dependent children to remain on their parents’ insurance plans until age 26, an eight year increase from the current drop-off age of 18. A new provision also prohibits insurers from dropping customers after they get sick. Also in the first stage, a new 10 percent tax will be applied to all indoor tanning services.

In the second stage, effective nearly four years later on January 1, 2014, insurance providers will no longer be allowed to deny customers insurance based upon pre-existing conditions. Another provision will fine those who refuse to purchase insurance; a fine of 1 percent of the total income of each citizen per year is established, after 2016, the fine increases to 2.5 percent of each citizens yearly income. 17,000 new IRS agents will also be hired to enforce the new fine.

The support of the American public has yet to be won: a March 29 poll from Rasmussen Reports found 54 percent of the nation’s voters favor a full repeal of Health care Reform, with 60 percent of Americans under the belief that it will increase the national deficit. As of March 23, the attorney generals of 13 states have declared the law unconstitutional; a lawsuit against the federal government is currently underway.

“America has unfortunately been taken down the wrong path by President Obama,”