The open enrollment period for 2020 has already started, but you still may have time to enroll if you get ready and do it before 15 December. (In some states, enrollment periods may continue for even longer.)

It's that time of year again - open enrollment for the health insurance marketplace. Those who went through 2019 without any coverage will be preparing to change their uninsured status, while those who already have a health plan will be working to keep it or switch to a better one.

Using a health insurance agent or broker to help you quickly find your next policy is a huge help. But you want to come to the conversation fully prepared. After all, coming unprepared could mean having to "get back to you later" on that with more information OR a long, stop-and-start call.

Perhaps, you are suddenly without health insurance and fear you may just have to wait till next year to get coverage. Not so! There are options available all year long.

Open enrollment for 2020 health insurance coverage only lasts a month and a half in most states - and given the complexity of these kinds of decisions, it always pays to start the research process as early as possible.

There are still tens of millions of Americans who have no health insurance at all, and many more have only an inadequate policy. If driving on our nation's highways uninsured or under-insured as to auto insurance is dangerous - going day to day without health coverage is just as dangerous, if in different ways.

Shopping for health insurance is more complicated than ever before, and the constantly shifting health insurance legislation and market forces mean that even experienced shoppers have to learn new things every year.

If you have a preexisting condition, routinely have high healthcare costs each year, or are getting "old and fragile" enough that going without health coverage is unthinkable - we don't have to convince you of the need to invest in a good health insurance policy.

Getting the right health insurance policy is a huge factor in starting the year off right or in successfully making major life adjustments mid-year. But given the abundance of options and the extreme complexity of the market, it can be challenging to find your ideal policy.

Having the right health insurance policy in place before a major accident or illness strikes is critical. You need to strike a balance between a quality health plan that does what you want it to do and a plan that is affordable.