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With twice as many choices and half the time as last year to sort them out, consumers who buy health coverage individually — those who don't get it through an employer or Medicare, for example — must be able to quickly navigate jargon and fine print. Are you willing to pay more for fewer surprises if you get sick? And with shrunken provider networks, is your doctor still covered? (Erb and Reindl, 12/16)

Obamacare’s employer mandate finally kicks in next month despite furious lobbying by the business community, two contentious delays by the administration and several votes by the House to kill it entirely. (Norman, 12/16)

People without insurance are running out of time to avoid the hefty ObamaCare penalties that the IRS will be handing down in 2016. Consumers face a Feb. 15, 2015, deadline to buy insurance, after which those without coverage could be hit with fines of $325 per adult or 2 percent of family income, whichever is higher. (Viebeck, 12/17)