About Louise Norris

Louise Norris has been writing about health insurance and healthcare reform at The Colorado Health Insurance Insider since 2006.

She brings a broker’s perspective to the healthcare reform discussion, as she and her husband started their health insurance agency, Insurance Shoppers, Inc., in 2003 and have spent the last decade helping clients in Colorado find individual health insurance policies that meet their needs and budget.

Louise has written more than 120 opinions and educational pieces about Obamacare for healthinsurance.org and in 2014, she wrote The Insider’s Guide to Obamacare’s Open Enrollment (2014-2015). The 38-page guide is filled with tips designed to help consumers select the right ACA-compliant coverage and spend less time doing it.

Posts by Louise Norris

• Southerners – and women – enjoy bigger subsidies

  September 23, 2016, posted in Blog

• State elections can make or break health reform

  September 21, 2016, posted in Blog

• Can you count on your Obamacare subsidy?

  September 15, 2016, posted in Obamacare

• CO-OP health plans: patients’ interests first

  September 15, 2016, posted in Obamacare

• What happens if my income changes and my premium subsidy is too big? Will I have to repay it?

  August 30, 2016, posted in FAQs

• When I compare health insurance plans in the exchange for our family, they all show total family deductibles. Does that mean we’d have to meet that full deductible even for just one person?

  August 30, 2016, posted in FAQs

• Your carrier’s leaving the exchange. What now?

  August 24, 2016, posted in Blog

• 3 ways to set yourself up for enrollment success

  August 21, 2016, posted in Insider’s Guide to Obamacare’s Open Enrollment

• Do you have to enroll through an exchange?

  August 21, 2016, posted in Insider’s Guide to Obamacare’s Open Enrollment

• Can you keep your grandmothered health plan?

  August 21, 2016, posted in Insider’s Guide to Obamacare’s Open Enrollment

• What’s in our updated Guide to Open Enrollment?

  August 20, 2016, posted in Insider’s Guide to Obamacare’s Open Enrollment

• Avoiding the ‘Obamacare penalty’

  August 20, 2016, posted in Insider’s Guide to Obamacare’s Open Enrollment

• 10 reasons why it’s time to enroll

  August 20, 2016, posted in Insider’s Guide to Obamacare’s Open Enrollment

• How to avoid the surprise of health plan ‘mapping’

  August 19, 2016, posted in Obamacare

• Reenrolling: Should I stay or should I go?

  August 18, 2016, posted in Insider’s Guide to Obamacare’s Open Enrollment

• Individual health insurance under Obamacare

  August 18, 2016, posted in Obamacare

• Do you still need COBRA health coverage?

  August 18, 2016, posted in Obamacare

• Obamacare penalty exemptions

  August 18, 2016, posted in Obamacare

• Health insurance and high-risk pools

  August 18, 2016, posted in Obamacare

• No family left behind by Obamacare

  August 18, 2016, posted in Obamacare

• Obamacare’s essential health benefits

  August 16, 2016, posted in Obamacare

• How Obamacare changed maternity coverage

  August 16, 2016, posted in Obamacare

• Will you receive an Obamacare premium subsidy?

  August 16, 2016, posted in Obamacare

• The ACA’s cost-sharing subsidies

  August 16, 2016, posted in Obamacare

• Is it possible to escape the coverage gap?

  August 15, 2016, posted in Obamacare

• Self-employed health insurance

  August 15, 2016, posted in Obamacare

• Should you look outside the ACA’s exchanges?

  August 15, 2016, posted in Obamacare

• Self-employed health insurance deduction 2015

  August 15, 2016, posted in Obamacare

• Is there a minimum age for Obamacare’s individual mandate?

  August 8, 2016, posted in FAQs

• My premium subsidy is dependent on my AGI. But I’m self-employed, so my AGI is dependent on my premium. Help!

  July 18, 2016, posted in FAQs

• Agents and brokers and navigators … oh my

  July 15, 2016, posted in Insider’s Guide to Obamacare’s Open Enrollment

• How to keep your health insurance when you move to another state

  July 15, 2016, posted in Obamacare

• What’s the deadline to get coverage during Obamacare’s open enrollment period?

  July 12, 2016, posted in FAQs

• If I owe income tax and the ACA penalty but don’t plan to pay the ACA penalty, will the IRS apply my payment to my penalty or to my income tax?

  July 12, 2016, posted in FAQs

• How do the ACA’s health insurance exchanges interact with critical illness plans?

  July 10, 2016, posted in FAQs

• Are qualifying events and special enrollment periods the same as they were in prior years?

  June 21, 2016, posted in FAQs

• Where do I find my 1095 tax form?

  June 20, 2016, posted in FAQs

• Do ‘Gold’ exchange plans offer more generous coverage than Bronze or Silver plans?

  June 20, 2016, posted in FAQs

• If I don’t make changes to my plan and just let it auto-renew for January, am I stuck with it for the rest of the year?

  June 20, 2016, posted in FAQs

• Does the Affordable Care Act make it easier to get individual health insurance?

  June 18, 2016, posted in FAQs

• I’m self-employed and am hiring employees. Under Obamacare, am I obligated to provide health insurance for them?

  June 16, 2016, posted in FAQs

• Does Obamacare make health coverage less expensive for the self-employed?

  June 15, 2016, posted in FAQs

• Does the ACA require infertility treatment to be covered by health insurance?

  June 13, 2016, posted in FAQs

• How is vision care covered under Obamacare?

  June 13, 2016, posted in FAQs

• We’re a family of four with an income of $47,000 a year. What kinds of subsidies are available to help us purchase insurance through the exchanges?

  June 10, 2016, posted in FAQs

• Will ‘Simple Choice’ plans live up to their name?

  June 9, 2016, posted in Blog

• I will be retiring from my job in August and moving to a new state. Do I have to establish residency there before I can apply for ACA coverage?

  June 8, 2016, posted in FAQs

• Is everyone who makes too much for ACA subsidies going to see big premium increases?

  June 6, 2016, posted in FAQs

• Is the IRS saying I’ll have to pay more for my health insurance next year?

  June 5, 2016, posted in FAQs

• My son is covered on my employer’s policy through July 31. Can he enroll in a new plan starting on August 1, or did he need to have purchased a plan during open enrollment?

  June 5, 2016, posted in FAQs

• How do the health insurance exchanges affect me if I already have insurance from my employer?

  June 3, 2016, posted in FAQs

• Is Social Security considered income when I’m enrolling in a plan through the exchange?

  June 2, 2016, posted in FAQs

• Should I buy the health plan my college offers? or buy through an ACA exchange?

  May 31, 2016, posted in FAQs

• I’m leaving my job – and my insurance – on June 30. Do I qualify for open enrollment on July 1? or do I have to take COBRA?

  May 25, 2016, posted in FAQs

• What is the difference between a Medical FSA and an HSA?

  May 17, 2016, posted in FAQs

• Under the ACA, can I still have an individual HDHP and an HSA?

  May 16, 2016, posted in FAQs

• My employer offers coverage to our whole family, but only pays the premiums for my coverage; my kids’ premium is payroll deducted in full. Can I buy individual policies for my children instead?

  May 13, 2016, posted in FAQs

• I earn too much to qualify for a subsidy. Why should I buy through an exchange?

  May 12, 2016, posted in FAQs

• Looking beyond the lowest premium

  May 11, 2016, posted in Insider’s Guide to Obamacare’s Open Enrollment

• Qualifying events that can get you coverage

  May 7, 2016, posted in Obamacare

• We’re moving 50 miles, but staying in the same state. Is that a qualifying event?

  May 7, 2016, posted in FAQs

• What are the ACA’s enrollment periods and when can I enroll outside of the open enrollment period?

  May 7, 2016, posted in FAQs

• We live in China right now but we don’t have health insurance for the times we come back to the states. What kind of insurance can we get?

  May 6, 2016, posted in FAQs

• You don’t have to go it alone.

  May 6, 2016, posted in Insider’s Guide to Obamacare’s Open Enrollment

• I’m not sure when health benefits will start at my new job. Can I drop ACA coverage when those benefits start?

  May 4, 2016, posted in FAQs

• How long will it take you to enroll?

  April 29, 2016, posted in Insider’s Guide to Obamacare’s Open Enrollment

• I purchased health insurance under the Affordable Care Act in Texas, but I have moved to Colorado. How do I transfer my coverage?

  April 22, 2016, posted in FAQs

• If I have insurance through my employer, can my spouse get coverage through the exchange?

  April 21, 2016, posted in FAQs

• I’ve heard that policies in the exchange only charge for a maximum of three children on a family plan. Is this true?

  April 19, 2016, posted in FAQs

• If I enroll in the exchange, will that coverage take effect immediately?

  April 18, 2016, posted in FAQs

• Should I keep my grandmothered individual health policy or switch to an ACA-compliant plan?

  April 15, 2016, posted in FAQs

• If I buy a dental insurance plan, what sort of out-of-pocket costs should I expect?

  April 13, 2016, posted in FAQs

• If my current coverage ends on December 31st, can I be confident that my new coverage will be in force if I enroll by December 15?

  April 12, 2016, posted in FAQs

• I earn just $22,000 a year. How can I afford the out-of-pocket costs of health insurance?

  April 10, 2016, posted in FAQs

• We get health insurance through my job, but the coverage isn’t very good. Can I enroll in an exchange plan instead, and get a subsidy to help pay for it?

  April 8, 2016, posted in FAQs

• We earn too much to qualify for a premium subsidy and our existing plan costs less than exchange plans. Can we keep it?

  April 5, 2016, posted in FAQs

• How does my access to employer-sponsored coverage impact my eligibility for subsidized coverage through the exchanges?

  April 3, 2016, posted in FAQs

• I’m 60 and retired. I can get insurance from my former employer but it’s very expensive. Do I qualify for insurance under the exchanges?

  April 3, 2016, posted in FAQs

• I’m 24. How do I choose between coverage from my father’s plan or from an exchange?

  April 3, 2016, posted in FAQs

• If I sign up for a bronze plan during open enrollment, can I bump my coverage up to a higher level several months later if I find out that I need surgery?

  April 3, 2016, posted in FAQs

• My carrier is allowing me to renew my pre-2014 plan. Can I shop for a new plan instead?

  April 2, 2016, posted in FAQs

• Is pediatric dental coverage included in exchange plans?

  March 30, 2016, posted in FAQs

• Who is keeping track of whether I buy health insurance through the exchanges?

  March 28, 2016, posted in FAQs

• Moonshot only the latest of Obama cancer missions

  March 23, 2016, posted in Blog

• Like your grandmothered health plan?

  March 22, 2016, posted in Blog

• I am on Medicare and Social Security, my wife is self-employed and needs insurance from the state exchange. How do we figure our household income?

  March 20, 2016, posted in FAQs

• Why would Congress let insurers charge a 60-year-old three times as much has a 25-year-old?

  March 18, 2016, posted in FAQs

• If I get an Obamacare subsidy in the exchange, is the subsidy amount considered income?

  March 16, 2016, posted in FAQs

• Who ISN’T eligible for Obamacare’s premium subsidies?

  March 12, 2016, posted in FAQs

• Can you explain the ACA cost-sharing subsidy that increases a policy’s actuarial value?

  March 10, 2016, posted in FAQs

• Can small businesses use the ACA’s health insurance marketplaces (exchanges)?

  March 4, 2016, posted in FAQs

• I’m enrolled in Medicare. Can I enroll my 14-year-old daughter in the exchange?

  March 3, 2016, posted in FAQs

• My eligibility for Medicaid depends on how my income compares to the Federal Poverty Level. Can you spell out what that means in dollars?

  February 19, 2016, posted in FAQs

• If my income is less than expected this year, I might be eligible for Medicaid. What can I do to cover my bases?

  February 19, 2016, posted in FAQs

• My college offers health insurance. Can I purchase coverage through the exchange instead?

  February 16, 2016, posted in FAQs

• How Obamacare improved mental health coverage

  February 16, 2016, posted in Blog

• The inevitable expansion of the Medicaid expansion

  February 10, 2016, posted in Blog

• Miss open enrollment? You’ve got options.

  February 5, 2016, posted in Obamacare

• I enrolled through the exchange and I’m happy with my coverage. Do I have to go through that again, or can I just let my plan renew?

  February 1, 2016, posted in FAQs

• Obamacare: a game changer for MS patients

  January 13, 2016, posted in Blog

• I can’t enroll in my employer-sponsored plan until July. Do I have to pay a penalty for the first half of the year?

  January 10, 2016, posted in FAQs

• Are dental benefits included in the health insurance exchange plans?

  January 5, 2016, posted in FAQs

• Why 13 states have highest health insurance rates

  December 9, 2015, posted in Blog

• Why 13 states have lower health insurance rates

  November 19, 2015, posted in Blog

• Affordable Care Act’s Basic Health Program

  November 18, 2015, posted in Obamacare

• Can I deduct my exchange premiums when I file taxes next year?

  November 17, 2015, posted in FAQs

• Pediatric dental is one of the essential health benefits on new plans. Does that mean that my insurance will cover braces for my son?

  November 15, 2015, posted in FAQs

• We claim our son, but not our daughter, on our taxes. How are premium subsidies calculated for families like ours?

  November 13, 2015, posted in FAQs

• With my income, I’m barely over the eligibility limit for a premium subsidy. Is there anything I can do to lower my income so I become eligible?

  November 13, 2015, posted in FAQs

• I am a 21-year-old dependent living with my parents. I have no wife or kids, so do I apply for health insurance as a household of one and list only my own income? Or do I have to be on my parents’ insurance?

  November 8, 2015, posted in FAQs

• I’ve heard that I need to have an ACA-compliant health plan, but what does that mean?

  November 7, 2015, posted in FAQs

• Someone told me you have to earn a minimum of $30,000 per year in order to purchase ACA insurance. Is this correct?

  November 7, 2015, posted in FAQs

• I’ve heard the federal government pays for the Medicaid expansion, but only for a few years. Then the state is on the hook for costs?

  November 7, 2015, posted in FAQs

• What is the Medicaid ‘coverage gap’ and who does it affect?

  November 3, 2015, posted in FAQs

• My wife and I each make about $40,000 a year. If we file our taxes separately, can we each qualify for an exchange subsidy?

  November 3, 2015, posted in FAQs

• Do ACA-compliant health insurance plans cover abortion?

  November 3, 2015, posted in FAQs

• My doctor posted a sign saying she ‘doesn’t take Obamacare.’ What should I do?

  November 3, 2015, posted in FAQs

• If I decline my employer-sponsored plan and try to get a subsidized exchange plan, will the IRS know?

  November 3, 2015, posted in FAQs

• Is the Obamacare individual mandate just based on the honor system?

  November 3, 2015, posted in FAQs

• I know the individual mandate permits a short gap in coverage of less than three months per year. What if I’m uninsured for the last two months of 2015 and first two months of 2016?

  November 3, 2015, posted in FAQs

• My parents are 68, but recently moved to the U.S., so they don’t qualify for Medicare. Can they buy insurance in the exchange?

  November 3, 2015, posted in FAQs

• I didn’t know I was eligible for Medicaid this year, so I didn’t enroll. Will I have to pay a penalty?

  November 2, 2015, posted in FAQs

• I’ve heard that the government can’t really enforce the penalty for not having health insurance. Is this true?

  October 31, 2015, posted in FAQs

• I have insurance through my husband’s employer, so I don’t need my employer’s coverage. But my company said I have to work fewer than 30 hours a week so that I’m not considered full time. Can I just waive my employer’s coverage if they let me work full time?

  October 31, 2015, posted in FAQs

• I’m a legal U.S. resident, but not a citizen. My job doesn’t offer health benefits. Can the ACA help me?

  October 27, 2015, posted in FAQs

• How long will it take me to enroll in the exchange? What documentation do I need?

  October 26, 2015, posted in FAQs

• I’ve heard a lot about health insurance exchanges, but what are SHOP exchanges?

  October 23, 2015, posted in FAQs

• Will I be able to see next year’s health insurance rates on exchange sites before open enrollment?

  October 21, 2015, posted in FAQs

• What happens if I buy insurance but it doesn’t meet ACA’s minimum essential benefits standards?

  October 13, 2015, posted in FAQs

• Are smokers unable to afford insurance under the ACA?

  October 13, 2015, posted in FAQs

• If I qualify for Medicaid, should I worry about the January 31 deadline for open enrollment?

  October 12, 2015, posted in FAQs

• Will every business with more than 50 employees pay a penalty if they don’t offer ‘affordable, comprehensive’ insurance?

  October 9, 2015, posted in FAQs

• I thought subsidies were available for anyone with incomes up to 400 percent of poverty level, but the calculators I’ve used say our family doesn’t qualify. Why?

  October 7, 2015, posted in FAQs

• Starting in 2010, the ACA allowed young adults to remain on their parent’s health plans until age 26. Is that still the case?

  October 4, 2015, posted in FAQs

• Should I be leery of short-term health insurance?

  October 3, 2015, posted in FAQs

• What is short-term health insurance?

  October 3, 2015, posted in FAQs

• Do all health insurance plans cover maternity?

  October 3, 2015, posted in FAQs

• What is the ACA’s catastrophic plan and who is eligible?

  October 2, 2015, posted in FAQs

• Which exchange plan is best for me?

  October 2, 2015, posted in FAQs

• If I’ve enrolled in a plan for the new year, can I change my mind and pick a different plan?

  September 30, 2015, posted in FAQs

• If I don’t enroll in a plan by the open enrollment deadline, what are my options after that?

  September 29, 2015, posted in FAQs

• I was laid off and don’t have any income. Am I still required to sign up during open enrollment?

  September 22, 2015, posted in FAQs

• Avoid scams while shopping for insurance

  August 27, 2015, posted in Obamacare

• We’re in a same-sex civil union. Should we calculate our subsidy as a household of two, or apply separately?

  August 16, 2015, posted in FAQs

• To what extent is Obamacare actually a ‘job killer?’

  July 20, 2015, posted in FAQs

• Obamacare’s subsidies upheld. What now?

  June 25, 2015, posted in Blog

• Student health insurance: required reading

  June 2, 2015, posted in Obamacare

• Four stories more deserving than Luis Lang’s?

  May 21, 2015, posted in Blog

• Are child-only policies available through the exchanges?

  May 15, 2015, posted in FAQs

• My health plan is being terminated on December 31. Does that mean I’m exempt from the ACA’s individual mandate?

  April 26, 2015, posted in FAQs

• If I say ‘No!’ to Obamacare and buy my coverage outside of the exchanges, will I have to pay a penalty if the benefits don’t meet Obamacare’s standards?

  April 16, 2015, posted in FAQs

• What’s the difference between dental insurance and dental discount plans?

  April 9, 2015, posted in FAQs

• Obamacare extension offers relief for penalty payers

  February 20, 2015, posted in Blog

• I already have great employer-sponsored health insurance that covers my pre-existing conditions. So how does Obamacare help me?

  February 11, 2015, posted in FAQs

• Is it true that Obamacare’s preventive care mandates only help women?

  February 11, 2015, posted in FAQs

• I’m retired and on Medicare. Are my benefits getting cut to pay for all the newly insured younger people?

  February 10, 2015, posted in FAQs

• Grandmothered plans: love ’em or leave ’em?

  January 28, 2015, posted in Obamacare

• I’m self-employed. Is it better for me to buy health insurance through a broker, or through the exchange?

  January 7, 2015, posted in FAQs

• If an individual pays for an exchange plan, how do they pay for the premium pre-tax as would someone with an employer plan?

  January 2, 2015, posted in FAQs

• A look at Obamacare plan renewal options

  December 12, 2014, posted in Obamacare

• Could Copper be ACA’s new precious metal?

  November 19, 2014, posted in Blog

• Is it better for me to pay out of pocket for dental care and not worry about dental insurance?

  November 13, 2014, posted in FAQs

• Why exchange website users aren’t ‘bailing’

  November 11, 2014, posted in Blog

• What you don’t know can’t help you (save money)

  October 29, 2014, posted in Obamacare

• ACA critics play the ‘rating game’ but it isn’t working

  October 22, 2014, posted in Blog

• Why your ACA health plan wasn’t cancelled

  September 26, 2014, posted in Blog

• Women and health insurance

  July 25, 2014, posted in Obamacare

• Are there programs that help the self-employed pay for health insurance?

  May 15, 2014, posted in FAQs

• ‘Health insurance’ that is too good to be true

  May 8, 2014, posted in Blog

• I’ve heard that Obamacare included a tax on real estate transactions. When I sell my house, will I get stuck with a big tax bill to pay for everyone else’s healthcare?

  April 29, 2014, posted in FAQs

• Fixing Obamacare’s broken window

  April 17, 2014, posted in Blog

• Exchanges: too big to succeed?

  April 13, 2014, posted in Blog

• Flushing away $10,000 to ‘just say No’

  March 27, 2014, posted in Blog

• ‘I don’t need health insurance!’

  March 24, 2014, posted in Blog

• Cruel irony: millions too poor for Medicaid

  March 20, 2014, posted in Blog

• Colorado: ‘battoning down the hatches’

  March 19, 2014, posted in Blog

• Beware Obamacare’s ‘subsidy cliff’

  March 15, 2014, posted in Blog

• ACA’s surprisingly successful exchanges

  March 12, 2014, posted in Blog

• A health disaster waiting to happen

  February 5, 2014, posted in Blog

• Is it true that the limitation on maximum out-of-pocket costs has been delayed until 2015?

  January 21, 2014, posted in FAQs

• Help paying for insurance? Not interested.

  January 20, 2014, posted in Blog

• Just how bad are junk health policies?

  January 10, 2014, posted in Blog

• Don’t expect ‘spiraling premiums’ in 2015

  January 4, 2014, posted in Blog

• What are the enrollment deadlines for new health insurance policies? Can I still get a plan with a January 1 effective date?

  December 26, 2013, posted in FAQs

• ACA marketplaces: The tide has turned

  December 19, 2013, posted in Blog

• Dreading higher premiums?

  December 4, 2013, posted in Blog

• Should I be concerned about how much personal information is required for enrollment in the exchanges?

  November 19, 2013, posted in FAQs

• Going ‘old school’ to enroll in Obamacare

  November 10, 2013, posted in Blog

• Red state pain won’t be limited to poor

  October 30, 2013, posted in Blog

• Seeing red over ACA obstruction

  October 19, 2013, posted in Blog

• Finally: an escape from lifetime maximums

  October 16, 2013, posted in Blog

• The state of the state marketplaces

  October 9, 2013, posted in Blog

• ‘We’re all in this together.’

  October 5, 2013, posted in Blog

• Now that the state health insurance marketplace (exchanges) are in place, will I still be able to use a broker or get some personal help in choosing a plan?

  October 4, 2013, posted in FAQs

• What happens if I don’t buy health insurance after 2014?

  October 3, 2013, posted in FAQs

• Will insurance from a state health insurance exchange be cheaper than what I can get on my own now?

  October 3, 2013, posted in FAQs

• Evaluating health insurance companies

  October 1, 2013, posted in Obamacare

• What is a private exchange?

  September 24, 2013, posted in FAQs

• What is a public exchange? Does it mean that the health insurance sold in the exchanges is going to be government-run?

  September 24, 2013, posted in FAQs

• Can health insurance policies still have lifetime benefit maximums in 2014? What about annual benefit maximums?

  September 24, 2013, posted in FAQs

• Know your health insurance exchanges

  September 23, 2013, posted in Obamacare

• I’m a low-income single adult, but I’ve never qualified for Medicaid before. I’ve heard that I might qualify in 2014. Is this true?

  September 17, 2013, posted in FAQs

• ACA benefits far outweigh tax-time burdens

  August 23, 2013, posted in Blog

• Shopping in the exchanges: what to expect

  August 20, 2013, posted in Obamacare

• How will a federal-state partnership be different from a federal or state exchange?

  August 15, 2013, posted in FAQs

• A fuss over subsidies for Congressional staff

  August 7, 2013, posted in Blog

• Will you receive an Obamacare subsidy?

  July 23, 2013, posted in Blog