The federal health reform law has eliminated lifetime limits on coverage for 105 million Americans, according to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who in March also announced new policies to help states build affordable insurance exchanges.

"For years, Americans with lifetime caps imposed on their health insurance benefits have had to live with the fear that if an illness or accident happened, they could max out their health coverage when they needed it most," Sebelius said. "Now, because of the health care law, they no longer have to live in fear of that happening."

HHS officials estimate 70 million people in large employer plans, 25 million in small employer plans and 10 million with individual plans had lifetime limits on their health benefits before the Affordable Care Act's passage.

In addition to removing lifetime benefits caps, the law also requires states to build insurance exchanges by 2014. The exchanges are designed to give consumers and small businesses comparable choices in health insurance coverage.

For more information about the benefits of the Affordable Care Act, visit www.healthcare .gov.