The first stage of President Obama's health care overhaul is expected to cover about 1 million uninsured Americans by next year.

It's also estimated that by 2014, more than 32 million will gain coverage.

"We've seen increasing numbers of people losing their health insurance, particularly in this recession," said Sara Collins, vice president of the Commonwealth Fund, a New York-based health research clearinghouse. "Providing this early relief will help people who are particularly affected by the downturn."

However, some analysts are concerned the new healthcare law will cause overcrowding and longer wait times in emergency rooms, most of which are already over capacity.

Experts say most people who use emergency rooms are Medicaid recipients. Under the new health law, even more people will be covered under that program.