Open enrollment is that time period each year during which you have the opportunity to review of your healthcare coverage, to review the details to choose the right health insurer for you. The best choice is the one that meets your medical needs while keeping your premiums and other payments as low as possible.

Many young patients end up signing for what seems to be a comprehensive health insurance plan such as Kaiser. The problem is that Kaiser has no colorectal surgeons in Santa Rosa. Colorectal services are provided by Kaiser general surgeons. If you wanted to see a colorectal surgeon, Kaiser would dissuade you from doing so. Even if you had a significant problem and if you still insisted on seeing a colorectal specialist, you would be informed the nearest participating provider was in Oakland or San Francisco, that the waiting list is many months. This is worse than the wait to see a colorectal specialist in Canada - when I worked in Canada, I would see a cancer patient within 2-3 weeks.

Remember...you get what you paid for.

Make sure your health insurance plan is truly comprehensive. Too often patients tell me they did not know about the plan shortcomings until they needed a certain type of specialist.