Overwhelmed? A real person can help you get health insurance

One thing I've learned from the questions submitted to my mailbox is that there's a vast variety of family and financial situations out there that can make it tough to navigate the online purchase of a health plan through a state Health Insurance Marketplace.

People can have difficult or nonstandard family configurations, often involving estranged spouses who are not cooperating on financial matters. They can be in the midst of a major job or life transition, or have a freelance income that can vary wildly from one year to the next.

Or they may simply be baffled by the whole process of picking a health plan and applying for financial assistance. And that's not even taking into account the extra degree of difficulty imposed on people who live in states that route applications through HealthCare.gov, the glitch-ridden federal portal that's still in the process of getting fixed.

To all you folks, a word of advice: There are real, live, trained people out there who are ready to help you. They're called different names in different states, but they've all been trained in the vicissitudes of the new health law and, at this point, know a lot more than you do about the finer points of filling out applications. Call one up and make an appointment!

You can easily find them through LocalHelp.HealthCare.gov, a section of the site that seems to be working just fine. Enter your ZIP code or city and you'll see a list of helper organizations, typically community groups or health clinics, and their contact information. If you live in a state that's running its own marketplace, you'll be directed to its site to find the help you need.

Before setting up an appointment, it's probably a good idea to ready some basic information to bring with you, such as birth dates and Social Security number of everyone in your household, a copy of your most recent tax return, and whatever information you have about current insurance coverage.

Good luck.

Got a question for our health insurance expert? Ask it here; be sure to include the state you live in. And if you can't get enough health insurance news, follow me on Twitter @NancyMetcalf.

—Nancy Metcalf

Health reform countdown: We are doing an article a day on the new health care law until Jan. 1, 2014, when it takes full effect. (Read the previous posts in the series.) To get health insurance advice tailored to your situation, use our Health Law Helper, below.