Define the Purpose

• What are your needs for health care insurance? Do you need catastrophic coverage only? Do you need basic coverage for periodic medical expenses? The answer to these questions depends on your health. If you are young and in good health, then the need for catastrophic health care coverage might not be as important to you. Make a list of the most important features to you and use it as a guide to help you make sure that you get the health care that you need as an individual.
  
  

Examine Your Options

• Comprehensive health care is the kind that offers coverage for almost every situation. These types of plans you will find most often in group policies. But, you can purchase similar plans as an individual or through a group that you can join. If you are in business for yourself, you can join the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE) in order to help you obtain health insurance. There are many of these types of groups that offer health insurance through memberships.
  
  

Compare Plans

• Most plans are similar and offer close pricing on individual health insurance plans. But, it pays to investigate plans side-by-side to see which one is the best fit for you.
  You will find yourself surrounded with terms such as premiums, co-pay, co-insurance and deductibles. These are the out-of-pocket costs that you will bear as the insured. You will also hear the term HSA (health savings account) mentioned as a way to put tax-free money away for health care costs. This helps offset any high deductible plans that you might choose.
  Making a decision on what plan is best for you will require you to look at these points:
  What is the cost of your premiums, deductions, co-pay and co-insurance?
  Do you get to choose your own doctors and hospitals?
  Is your doctor that you have now in the plan that you are looking at?
  Do you have any current health care conditions that are not covered in the plan?
  Is the plan you are looking at for an individual?
  Are pre-existing conditions covered and if so, is there a waiting period?
  What is the reputation of the insurance company that you are considering?
  Wise choices are possible if you use common sense and a careful approach to your health insurance?