Healthcare.gov opens for business Sunday. This year there are more insurance plans available on the federal website for New Hampshire residents.
And for consumers who do buy insurance from one of the five companies offering dozens of plans on the health exchange website, most are receiving subsidies from the federal government. But those subsidies are counterbalanced by insurers narrowing their networks of doctors and hospitals, while raising premiums, deductibles, co-pays and other costs.
And the penalty for not purchasing insurance jumps in the coming year - to a maximum of almost $1,000 per household, or two percent of household income, whichever is greater.
The federal website was created under the Affordable Care Act to expand insurance coverage to Americans, including people who are poor, sick or self-employed. About 45,000 consumers purchased plans on the exchange during the last open enrollment period.
