The open enrollment period to sign up for 2019 health insurance is over, having run between 1 November and 15 January in most states. But what happens if you failed, for whatever reason, to enroll and now you are left without any health coverage? Do you have to stay uncovered for the duration of the year?

When you really think about it, life insurance is not at all focused simply on money, numbers, forms, medical exams, and contracts. All that is only a part of the legal requirements and processes involved, but at bottom - life insurance policies are all about relationships.

Your HR Department may, quite understandably, feel a bit overwhelmed sometimes - what with navigating the plethora of issues that face it including hiring/firing, employee benefits, and wage management. If you don't have a separate HR at all, and are trying to do it all yourself, you no doubt feel the weight of complex employee-employer relations laws even more keenly.

Getting it right the first time is crucial when it comes to choosing your health insurance plan - after all, any wrong choice is something you'll be stuck with for a full year unless you qualify for a special enrollment period.

There are many factors you want to take into account when selecting your health insurance policy for 2019, including amount of coverage, monthly premiums, and deductibles (or a no deductible policy). But one often overlooked factor that will affect your total annual out of pocket health care expenses is the copayment (copay) arrangement of your plan.