Open enrollment for the federal health insurance marketplace begins Nov. 1, and the extension of marketplace subsidies is at the heart of the ongoing government shutdown.

But in New Hampshire, marketplace experts are gearing up to help people navigate higher premiums, whether or not those subsidies are extended.

“It's in the headlines right now, so folks are very confused,” said Peter Ames, executive director of the Foundation for Healthy Communities, which offers free help to people purchasing their own health insurance. “Are they staying? Are they going? In addition to what the premium increases may be in the marketplace.”

Ames says they typically work with people in rural communities and those moving off Medicaid to buy their own health insurance, walking them through the process and

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