Can someone explain the health care 'crisis' to me?

[Copernicus]

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Don't employers have open enrollment for one month out of the year, when you can get insurance or change policies at your job without any background check or anything? Is that just in my state or something?

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I'm not sure if that is a state or federal law or just courtesy by the employer, but open enrollment once a year is very common. You usually can change not just health insurance coverage, but also disability and life insurance coverage, your 401(k) plan, and other benefit plans offered.

And obviously you can change benefit plans on marriage (or divorce) having children, etc.

-Zeno

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Federal law on any tax favored benefits. You have to elect to defer taxes before the income is earned, so elections are usually made in advance of the tax year. On non-tax favored benefits its just an administrative rule to keep expenses down.