Any American who’s ever bought insurance will be able to answer the key question about health care reform. What happens to your insurance premiums when the benefits go up—way up? Will you pay more if you suddenly move from a bare-bones, high deductible policy to a new gold-plated policy that covers everything?

This is a key question because the Obama reforms call not only for a new government-sponsored health plan, but also for new regulations on existing policies—requiring that they remove benefit caps, lower deductibles and co-pays, and insure (at no extra cost) even those with dire, pre-existing conditions.

Aside from the huge tax burden to support the government program, crushing new rules on private insurance will force premiums sky high—striking hard at both employers and individuals, and starkly limiting their choices.