How do I Purchase Individual Health Insurance?

A person seeks out individual health insurance when his employer does not provide health insurance as a benefit, or when he is self-employed, unemployed or a student. In each state, there are certain insurance companies that sell individual health insurance. There are more options in some states than others.

Providers

• A first step to purchasing individual health insurance involves finding out which companies in your state sell these types of policies. Working through an insurance agent can streamline the process, or you can research on your own, such as by reading health insurance providers' websites.

Quotes

• Once you know which providers offer individual health insurance policies, you provide information on your age, medical history and other issues pertinent to the health insurance companies from whom you would like quotes. If you are including any family members on the policy, you will need to provide information about them as well.

Research

• Various details vary from one policy and health insurance company to the other. For example, some individual health insurance policies include coverage for alternative care like chiropractic, while others do not. Your needs and desires can help you decide which policy to purchase.

Comparisons

• After you have gathered all relevant information on the various insurance companies and policies available in your state, you can review your information and decide which policy best matches your needs and budget. You can make your final decision after weighing issues like benefits, premium costs, co-pays and participating providers.

Tip

• The best policy for you is not always the least expensive but the one that has the coverage you need, based on issues such as whether you have any health conditions, as well as what medications and tests you might need.