Does health care reform influence the insurance market?

And more specifically, how does it affect premiums and how health care is distributed, and the way people purchase it? I've been reading into how the free rider aspect can negatively influence the cost of health insurance and what that cost means to taxpayers. But does the health reform bill change how people choose to purchase insurance, such as what type? Will people purchase more short-term insurance for instance, over long-term insurance simply to fulfill the mandates? And how does this change competition between providers? Are providers harmed? Websites with information would be helpful. Thank you.
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Absolutely it does. Just look at the current result of the health reform act - you can no longer buy a child only health insurance policy, and maternity benefit options are rapidly drying up for individual policies. They'll be gone before 2014, due to the "preexisting condition" exclusion not being allowed. Prices are skyrocketing. Already, the cap has been lifted on lifetime coverage limits for children, and preexisting conditions can no longer be excluded for them. Estimates for coverage price increases come January 1st, are 25% to 40% across the board. This is to cover the extra costs, associated with elimintating caps on very sick children, and mandating coverage for preexisting conditions for them. The result will naturally be, fewer people will be able to afford to buy health insurance coverage. Yep, we'll have FEWER insured people. Also, the people good at math, will realize it's cheaper to pay $700 fine, once a year, and only buy coverage when they have to file a big claim, than it will be to pay $500 every month, and ALWAYS have insurance in place. That "adverse selection" issue will have to result in the insurance companies coming up with a method to incentivize healthy people to buy health insurance, to offset the unhealthy people. I think people aren't going to bother to comply wtih the mandates. It's cheaper not to. Just like welfare payments pay more, to women with children who are not married, giving them incentives to have children outside of marriage - this system encourages people financially to NOT buy insurance.
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