Don't bet big on health law changes when mulling coverage

Why worry about buying health insurance when President-elect Donald Trump plans to dump the requirement that most Americans get coverage?

"The real risk is something will happen to you, and you won't be able to get care or (you) go broke trying to pay for it," said Karen Pollitz, a senior fellow at the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation.

The threat of financial disaster, not the Affordable Care Act's hazy future, should shape any decision to buy coverage for next year, health experts say.

Trump has vowed to repeal and replace predecessor Barack Obama's health care law, and the new president may begin doing so shortly after he takes over next month.

An additional 9 million low-income people covered by Medicaid in states that expanded the program also are safe, for now.

Enrollment for 2017 plans started Nov. 1, and about 2.1 million people have renewed coverage or signed up for the first time through Nov. 26 on HealthCare.gov, the federal website that handles insurance applications in many states.