Yes, we've heard about the individual mandate—er, tax. A lot.And we know about Medicaid expansion. And the free birth control.And the exchanges.

 But there's a lot more to President Obama's PatientProtection and Affordable Care Act. After all, the law is 2,700pages long. Its provisions—and overall effects—will not only changeAmerica's health care landscape, but will have ripple effects feltin all other sectors.

 With regulations that began back in 2010 when Congresspassed the law and dozens more being implemented through 2018,there's a lot to keep up with.

 Here are some of the lesser known effects of thelaw.

1) Domestic violence help

Health care reform brings attention to a subject that usuallydoesn't get much.

 As of Aug. 1, 2012, the law requires that allinsurance plans cover screening and counseling for domestic abuse,a provision found under preventive services for women's health.(The other women's health benefits are more widely known andinclude contraceptives and routine breast and pelvic exams, paptests and prenatal care).

 The law also will prevent domestic violence from beingconsidered a “preexisting condition.”

During a WedMD seminar in July, Health and Human ServicesSecretary Kathleen Sebelius praised the PPACA for bringingattention to “an issue that's off the radar.”

 “It's an unfortunate equal opportunity [issue] for victims—all races, ages, ethnic backgrounds and incomelevels are at one point or another victims of domestic violence.And often people feel ashamed or feel they've done something tocause the violence to occur,” Sebelius said. “But this is asituation in the health insurance market. Prior to the AffordableCare Act being law, it was legal for an insurance company to denyhealth coverage to a domestic violence victim because she was adomestic violence victim. Because that's considered a preexistingcondition. That will no longer be legal by 2014.”

 For victims of domestic violence, access to healthcare is critical, Lynn Rosenthal, White House adviser on violenceagainst women, wrote in a blog post.

 “They need treatment for immediate injuries andongoing care for related health problems. They need to be able totalk to their health care provider about the cause of theirinjuries without fear of losing their health insurance,” she said.“Most importantly, they need our compassion and support.”

2) Fake tanners will pay

This really has been a hot-button issue, so to speak: Since July1, 2010, Jersey Shore wannabes have had to pay a 10 percent taxevery time they visit an indoor tanning service.

 The reason is twofold: It makes a dent in the hugeprice tag of reform, while discouraging indoor tanning for healthreasons. Indoor tanning has been linked with skin cancers includingmelanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and cancers of the eye, theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention says.

 But the tax has left both tanning salon goers andowners outraged. And controversy hasn't cooled down, either.

 After the Supreme Court upheld the PPACA back in June,the Indoor Tanning Association said, “As the thousands of businessowners in this industry can attest, taxes have serious consequencesfor small businesses and their employees.

 “These businesses have paid this unfair tax for thepast two years,” the association said, “and the results are in:More than 3,100 businesses closed; more than 35,000 jobsdestroyed.  Since the tax went into effect, we estimate$145 million has been taken out of the pockets of consumers andmain street businesses and remitted to the federal government.”

3) Smokers need not apply?

Under a provision of the law, smokers can be charged up to 50percent more than nonsmokers for health insurance beginning in2014. Regulations now allow companies to require workers who failto meet specific standards to pay up to 20 percent of theirinsurance costs. 

George Washington University law professor John Banzhaf helpedpersuade HHS and Congress to include the surcharges for smokers inthe law.

 “The largest totally unnecessary expense that mostcorporations and employers bear—which unfortunately are largelypassed along to their employees—are the unnecessary medical andother costs [of] smoking,” he says.

 The surcharge is an effective method of discouragingsmokers. It also could  result in more wellness programsaimed at reducing the number of workers who light up, Banzhafsays.

 But as an alternative, some employers are decidingthat the best way to avoid such costs is to not hire smokers atall. Though there are laws in place in some states prohibitingthat, he argues they're rarely enforced. 

4) Breastfeeding support

Breastfeeding advocacy groups are praising a provision in thePPACA that supports women who choose to breastfeed.

 The provision states employers shall providereasonable, unpaid break time and a private, non-bathroom locationfor an employee to express breast milk for her nursing child for upto one year after the child's birth. Employers with fewer than 50employees are excluded if it would cause “undue hardship.”

 “Mothers, babies, and employers all win withbreastfeeding support,” says Joan Younger Meek, a doctor and chairof the United States Breastfeeding Committee.

 “Research clearly demonstrates the value ofbreastfeeding for the health of women and children, and medicalexperts agree with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Servicesin recommending exclusive breastfeeding for six months andcontinued breastfeeding for the first year of life and beyond,”Meek says. “But returning to work can be a major hurdle for newmothers struggling to balance working and breastfeeding without thesimple support measures this law ensures.”

 The group argues that in addition to recognizing thehealth benefits of breastfeeding, the employers benefitfinancially, too.

 Meek says with minimal effort on the part of employersto provide “a clean place in privacy” and break times, there willbe an impressive return on investment for employers that provideworkplace lactation support, including lower health care costs,absenteeism and turnover rates.

5) Caloric reality

Have you ever ordered a Big Mac and large fries, and thought toyourself, 'I don't even want to know how many calories thisis?'

 You're out of luck from now on. Now you'll be hit withcaloric reality at every major chain restaurant.

 The law requires restaurants with 20 or more locationsto list calorie counts on menus, menu boards and even drive-thrus.The entire nutrition label also would  have to beavailable in writing upon request.

 But there's been some contention with this. Somepoliticians and the Food Marketing Institute say the law can provetricky because places like grocery stores serve ready-to-eat food,but caloric information can differ between stores and regions. Italso can prove costly.

 In June, the FMI endorsed new legislation that willsupport Congress' original intent on federal restaurant menulabeling by ensuring regulatory protocols intended for restaurantsare not expanded to mainstream grocery stores, thus saving foodretailers and customers from unnecessary regulatory consequencescosting in excess of $1 billion.

6) Mental health focus

PPACA mandates coverage parity, putting mental health treatmenton par with medical care, which means deductibles, copayments anddoctor visits can't be more restrictive for mental illnesses thanmedical and surgical coverage.

 Mental health advocates praise the changes.

 “I would say no single piece of legislation has had asmuch of a potential impact on the lives of people with mentalillness as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,” saysBill Emmet, a mental health advocate who works as a consultant andsenior policy advisor in Los Angeles.

 “The end of restrictions on coverage of people withpre-existing conditions will have a disproportionate benefit forpeople with mental illnesses, resulting not only in greater accessto care for their mental health disorders, but—more important—inbetter overall health, as many will have access to health insurancefor the first time,” he says.

 Similarly, Emmet says, the provision allowing youngpeople to remain on their parents' insurance plans through age 26will have a great impact because “mental illnesses often revealthemselves just as young people are making their way in the world,and this provision will ensure they have coverage at a criticaltime for early intervention and treatment.”

 According to the CDC, about one in four Americans hasa mental illness. Additionally, people with a mental illness aremore prone to other costly problems: They're more than twice aslikely to smoke cigarettes and more than 50 percent more likely tobe obese.

7) A pricier pizza

Papa John's CEO John Schnatter got national attention in Augustwhen he said that health reform will cause consumers to pay morefor their pizza.

 He estimates that the law will cost 11 to 14 centsmore per pizza, or 15 to 20 cents per order. That's because underPPACA, the company will have to offer health care coverage to moreof its 16,500 total employees or pay a penalty to thegovernment.

 “We're not supportive of Obamacare, like mostbusinesses in our industry,” Schnatter said. “But our businessmodel and unit economics are about as ideal as you can get for afood company to absorb Obamacare.”

 The National Restaurant Association said the law couldadversely affect restaurants' ability to maintain already slimprofit margins because it requires companies of more than 50employees to provide affordable health insurance.

 Papa John's wasn't the only restaurant to bemoan coststhat will come due to health reform. Chains such as White Castle,McDonalds, Burger King, Quiznos and Dunkin' Donuts all haveexpressed concern the law might hurt their bottom line.

8) Your FSA

A popular consumer-driven health care tactic is also changingbecause of the PPACA.

As of Jan. 1, 2011, flexible spending accounts may no longer beused to purchase over-the-counter drugs or medicines. Mostretailers can identify items that could be reimbursed at the timeof purchase, so the flexible spending account debit cards will payfor only the eligible items, Cigna says. Individuals must pay forover-the-counter drugs and medicines another way.

 But the most significant change to FSAs under the lawwill be the implementation of the $2,500 cap on health care FSAcontributions beginning in 2013, says Jody Dietel, chief complianceofficer at WageWorks and executive director of Save FlexibleSpending Plans, an advocacy campaign to protect the accessibilityand use of flexible spending accounts.

 Previously there was no cap.

 “While the new cap may require an adjustment from FSAparticipants, the accounts are still a can't-miss savingsopportunity,” she says.