After more than three years of political controversy and legal challenges, the major coverage provisions of the 2010 Affordable Care Act are set to take effect January 1 -- yet polling finds roughly half of Americans say they don't know enough about the health reform law to understand how it will affect their families. With new state health insurance marketplaces set to enroll people in coverage starting October 1, local and national print, online, television and radio news outlets will play a critical role in educating their audiences about the law's new realities.

As part of its Media Fellowships Program, the Kaiser Family Foundation presents a series of free, interactive web briefings exclusively for journalists to address key aspects of the the Affordable Care Act, its implications for consumers, and strategies for connecting the dots for different audiences.