Obamacare Open Enrollment Starts Today: Here's Your Guide to Shopping for a Policy

Confused about Obamacare? You're not alone. Almost a quarter of registered U.S. voters believe the law was repealed (it wasn't), and 85% of the uninsured population doesn't know when open enrollment starts.

Cuts to Obamacare's advertising budget have made it more difficult for you to find out how to get covered. If you don't take action to sign up, you could end up missing out on your chance to get covered -- which means getting hit with tax penalties and losing valuable insurance subsidies.

Open enrollment will be shorter this year -- it runs from November 1, 2017 through December 15, 2017  -- so sign up as soon as possible for coverage if you need it. Fortunately, we have a comprehensive guide to help you through the entire process.

Where to sign up

First things first: Where should you sign up for insurance during open enrollment? Policies that are Obamacare-compliant are sold through healthcare exchanges created by federal or state governments, are sold by navigators and insurance agents, and are sold through insurers.

If you are eligible for subsidies, you must sign up either via an online exchange or with in-person help from a navigator. You can find a navigator on the federal healthcare.gov website. You should be eligible for subsidies if your income is below 400% percent of the poverty level. Subsidies are based on family size. Check the Healthcare.gov webite to find out if you are eligible for subsidies or check the chart below if you live in any state except Alaska or Hawaii.

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