Q&A: New sign-up season; new woes for Obama health law

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is leaving the White House in a few months, but the troubles of his signature health care law continue to make headlines.

With premiums rising by double digits and many consumers scrambling to replace coverage because their insurer bailed out, the 2017 sign-up season that starts Nov. 1 looks challenging.

Obama says it's just "growing pains" but critics see the threat of market collapse, a death spiral.

The 2010 health care law aimed to create a single market in each state for health insurance purchased by individuals.

[...] consumers who bypass the public insurance exchanges and buy individual policies from an insurer are not insulated from premium increases.

The administration estimates that 6.9 million people currently buy coverage outside the marketplaces, and of those, nearly two-thirds would not be eligible for subsidies if they looked within the exchanges.

[...] switching to reduce your premiums may mean having to accept higher out-of-pocket costs, or a different network of doctors, or a new list of preferred medications.

While there's strong evidence that competition among insurers helps to keep premiums in check, it's not clear that insurers bailing out is the main reason driving double-digit increases.

Administration officials say a smoother website should make it easier to compare plans on features that consumers care about, such as which doctors participate.

The so-called "cost sharing reductions" are keyed to a consumer's income and are available for people making up to 250 percent of the federal poverty level, which is about $50,400 for a family of three.

If you're unfamiliar with health insurance jargon, seek out an enrollment counselor in your community.