Buying Individual Health Insurance:

With the down economy and more people losing their jobs, finding individual health insurance is becoming more common these days. I've been self-employed for the last 12 years so I know what it's like to have to get your own health insurance plan and pay for it with your own money. I've see the huge rate increases over the years and most of those that work in larger companies never realize how much health coverage costs. My individual health insurance started out at about $65/month when I was in my 20's and now that I'm in my 30's it has jumped up to about $160/month (that's still somewhat low since I have a high deductible HSA account with it). The deductible on my health insurance is $2500, but I do get reduced monthly rates for going with such a high deductible plan. If I had a much smaller deductible, like $500, my monthly rates would probably double to $300+ each month. I really only have my health insurance for catastrophic coverage - things like hospital stays, surgery, accidents, etc. The day to day stuff like doctor visits aren't that important to me so even if I have to pay most of the out of pocket expense to see a doctor ($80/visit), I'll accept that as part of having a lower monthly premium.

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Individual health insurance rates have skyrocketed along with everyone else's in America and certainly the system is near a breaking point. I live in the state of Oregon and have found that the cost to get individual health care has leveled off a bit and just a few years ago my plan with Blue Cross Blue Shield actually went down 20%. The one thing you want to get away from all the plans with health providers like COBRA. They are usually offered to employees after they are laid off a job and trust me these insurance policies are expensive. When my wife was laid off from here job a few years ago the COBRA plan wanted something like $650/month to keep your same health care benefits and we found something similar on the private market for about $200/month. Of course we had to pay a little more out of pocket for deductibles and doctor visits, but it easily made sense given the $650 bill we would have paid otherwise. All the major health insurance companies like Aetna, Kaiser, Humana, Cigna, Anthem, Blue Cross, and Unicare have options for individuals looking for medical coverage. In Oregon, where I live, I have my insurance with LifeWise. I used to have Fortis, then it switched to Assurant Health, and now I made the switch over to LifeWise for the best rates and the option to have a PPO plan. I could get a rate as low as $80/month if I wanted a $7500 deductible, so certainly affordable individual health insurance is out there. Don't let people tell you that premiums are too expensive because you can work out a plan where the monthly outlay is not that much. If you are healthy and don't see a doctor that much, then go with the higher deductible plans and lower your health care premiums.

Best Individual Health Insurance:

For years I was with a smaller health insurance company and I never went to the doctor so it was no big deal. The few times I went I would look up the approved doctors in the network and make an appointment. As I got older, I realized that having my own personal doctor made more sense and so I went with a larger health care provider which allows me to choose my own doctor in a PPO network. I pay a little more for the service, but I feel more comfortable with a doctor that at least knows my history a bit and therefore should be able to make a better diagnosis. There are cheap individual health insurance rates available, but for better medical care consider one of the larger networks provided by Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, or Cigna. I have also heard good things about Humana. Ultimately you have to choose the provider that is most prevalent in your area, not all providers are available across the country. Also, expect that health insurance will continue to rise for those seeking individual health care plans. Unfortunately for those of us that pay our monthly premiums, we are also paying for the 47 million Americans that choose not to get health insurance. Our rates would be dramatically cheaper if everyone was forced to buy some kind of medical coverage, even if it was the most basic plan at $100/month or something. I'm hoping that in the near future President Obama will revamp the health care system help those of us that are paying our fair share already.

How Much is Individual Health Insurance? - Getting Quotes Online:

The best website for determining health care costs is at eHealthinsurance.com. It's simple to use - just type in your sex (male/female), your age (birthdate), and your ZIP code. The site then pops up a page full of the best health coverage rates available in your area. You get to select from multiple health care providers and policies. Choose your deductible, if you want a PPO or HMO network, what your coinsurance % will be, how much you put out at a regular office visit, and more. Read reviews online and get instant price quotes for individual health insurance that will make you feel like you are once again in control of your medical coverage. We choose a sample state like California and typed in a Bay Area location. The example we used was a 38 male with no history of smoking or tobacco use and got a quote of about $75 with Anthem, $110 with Kaier Permanente, and about $90 with Aetna. Each plan offered different attributes like test results online, no claim forms, no deductible for office visits, no waiting period, some had networks that were national, etc. The point being is that you choose what you want and that makes for a better health care system over. Online individual health insurance quotes are quick and easy to get and you can apply online and often get approved within 24 hours. The general rule on costs is that the higher deductible the lower the monthly premiums and the lower deductible means higher health insurance premiums. The Internet has simplified the process a bit so use it to your advantage and compare individual health care plans online to find the one that matches your set of circumstances the best.

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