Open enrollment for the individual health insurance marketstarts November 1, and the federal government shutdown is bringing a little uncertainty to the shopping experience.

On this episode of the OIC Answers podcast, Washington Health Benefits Exchange CEO Ingrid Ulery joins Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer to talk about whether a podcast host really needs health insurance, what open enrollment is all about, and the benefits of shopping on healthplanfinder.org.

Then, the discussion turns to the enhanced premium tax credits, the debate on the national level around keeping them, what losing them means for the 300,000 Washingtonians who buy their plans on the Exchange, and what happens to rates and premiums if the tax credits are extended after the start of open enrollment.