Facing a June 1 deadline for hundreds of thousands of unemployed workers to start footing the full cost for their health insurance, Congress has pitched a new plan to extend subsidies through the end of the year.

Nearly all employers – whether insured and self-funded – will be affected by the new health care legislation, with some of those changes coming in the near future, according to a health insurance lawyer.

Recognizing the difficult path to health reform and ignoring the potential legal hurdles to come, President Barack Obama signed into law sweeping health reform amid a rousing audience at the White House.

A bill that would raise the tax credit for those purchasing long-term care insurance from 15% to 30% was dismissed in about 90 seconds by the Virginia Senate Finance Committee.