New Hampshire: Open Enrollment Starts Today

Today marks the start of open enrollment for the thousands of Granite Staters who will select an individual health insurance plan through HealthCare.gov or directly from an insurance company.

Residents who will be purchasing a plan need to be aware that rates have gone up by an average of 52 percent. This is due to failure to reform Obamacare and rising medical and pharmaceutical costs.

However, the 29,000 people in New Hampshire who receive a federal subsidy through HealthCare.gov likely won't see a difference in what they pay, because their subsidies will increase as well. The 24,000 residents who don't qualify for a subsidy or who don't shop on HealthCare.gov face large premium increases.

Everyone who is purchasing a health insurance plan for 2018 should shop around, just as they would for any other big purchase, even if they like the plan they have now - there may be another plan out there that's more affordable or that has a better network of health care providers.

The open enrollment period for 2018 is shorter than in years past: from Nov. 1 to Dec. 15, and people should be aware of this time frame.

The New Hampshire Insurance Department has information and resources for people who are shopping for a plan or who have problems with their coverage: Visit www.nh.gov/insurance/ or call (800) 852-3416.