Submitted Photo According to state data, roughly 50,000 North Dakotans get their health coverage through the ACA marketplace. Photo from Adobe Stock.

Signing up for health coverage is an important but no-so-fun task and for North Dakotans with Affordable Care Act plans, this year’s enrollment comes with added stress amid uncertainty over expiring tax credits.

Enhanced federal subsidies for health insurance marketplace customers expire at year’s end. Whether to extend them is a major factor in the government shutdown, prompting fears millions of people will pay much more without the credits. Enrollment begins Nov. 1 and a statewide assistance group hopes people do not panic.

Lindsey Karlson, director of programs and training for the Community HealthCare Association of the Dakotas, said even if there’s no resolution, you should still begin the prep work.

“Don’t wait ’til the last minute,” Karlson said. “I’d encourage folks to log on as soon as they can after November 1 so that they can see what the plans are. They can start making decisions.”

And if you still have questions, there are free navigators with guidance on the best course of action. Info can be found when you type “Get Covered North Dakota” in a web search.

Karlson explained it helps avoid the possibility of getting unreliable tips from online content creators. In a national survey, 43% of people said they regret a health decision they have made because of inaccurate details.

It is also enrollment time for employer-sponsored health coverage and Medicare plans.

Dr. Rhonda Randall, chief medical officer and executive vice president of UnitedHealthcare Employer and Individual, said no matter your situation, keep an eye out for policy options beyond the bare minimum.

“Things like mental health services, telehealth services, added benefits like dental, vision and hearing,” Randall said.

For Affordable Care Act plans, state officials said to offset the effects of changing subsidies, people can consider plans which might be more limited in scope, although it may affect deductibles and provider networks.

Assistance groups noted all the tax credits will not disappear if the federal subsidies expire. Some lower-income households can still get federal support to ease premium costs.