Open enrollment is the period of time each year when you can sign up for health insurance under Obamacare. If you don't sign up for health insurance during open enrollment, you probably can't sign up for health insurance until the next open enrollment period, unless you experience a qualifying event.

Open enrollment allows the health insurance shoppers to apply for cost assistance, switch plans, and enroll into major medical plans in the individual and family market without the need of qualifying for a special enrollment period. This is the only time of the year and a way to avoid paying fees to get major medical insurance that qualifies as minimum essential coverage. Most types of health insurance have special enrollment periods for certain qualifying life events, but they all have different criteria.

The health insurance offerings under the affordable care act focuses on health plans for both individual and families. Insurance types have different enrollment dates and these dates may vary each year. Open enrollment for health insurance coverage in the year 2018 will begin on November 1, 2018 and will end on December 15, 2018.

During Obamacare’s open enrollment, you need to create an account through your chosen marketplace, choose a plan, and enroll before the deadline. The verification process during account creation can take time. Beyond that, choosing the right plan and making sure you are enrolled can be time consuming too. Do yourself a favor and give yourself time to solve problems that may arise. Don’t leave the process until the last minute. Make sure you finish the process of enrolling in Obamacare before the end of each year’s open enrollment deadline. If you miss open enrollment deadline you won’t be able to sign up again until the next open enrollment period without qualifying for a special enrollment period.