Healthcare.gov Is Now Up and Running: Will It Really Improve Health Care?

(CBS) Healthcare.gov is now live.

For people with questions about patient rights or the new federal health care law - and those who just want to learn about their health care options or about preventing illness - this site may prove useful.

The informational website was launched as part of the Affordable Care Act, which is slated to take full effect in 2014.

The most interesting part of the site may be the search tool. It allows people to click on their state, then choose responses to questions about their family and medical status. A program processes the data and then spits out the best insurance options available.

Will the site allow you to "take health care into your own hands," as its slogan says? Visit  healthcare.gov and decide for yourself.