Illinois residents have about a month left to examine health insurance options under the federal Affordable Care Act. Illinois Department of Insurance Director Jennifer Hammer and other I-D-O-I officials plan to travel to all 102 Illinois counties to answer questions and provide some guidance;

Six insurance carriers - that's one more than last year - can provide health insurance to Illinois residents. Some won't have as many plans to choose from, while others could have up to 30 different choices and some subsidized by the federal government based on income;

I-D-O-I says for the first time since 20-15, the cost of most health insurance plans within the federal program will be stable or could drop for those that enroll for coverage next year. The deadline is December 15th. More information can be found online at get-covered-dot-illinois-dot-gov.