Here come the changes in your health care

New taxes on drug makers, lower prescription-drug costs for seniors and restrictions on tax-free medical spending accounts are among a slate of health-law provisions that kicked in Saturday, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Medicare recipients who fall into a prescription-drug coverage gap known as the "doughnut hole" may reap the biggest windfall of the law in 2011. Enrollees whose total drug costs for the year fall between $2,840 and $6,448 will get a 50% discount on branded prescriptions. That's compared with a $250 rebate the law gave them in 2010 to offset the cost of paying for those drugs entirely out of pocket. The seniors' group AARP estimates more than three million people fall into the doughnut hole each year.

The cost of drug coverage, however, will go up for some seniors. Medicare beneficiaries with annual incomes above $85,000 for individuals and $170,000 for couples will get a smaller government subsidy for Medicare Part D prescription-drug coverage.

Also under the law, about 20 preventive health services, including colorectal cancer screenings, mammograms and smoking cessation services, will be free for people on Medicare.

Consumers will no longer be able to use their flexible spending accounts—tax-free funds set aside for medical costs—to pay for most over-the-counter items unless they are purchased with a prescription.

Stay tuned.