There are many of us - about 40 million, in fact, who go without individual health insurance. The majority of those people are either self-employed or work for small businesses who don't offer insurance.
Things could be looking up for us. There are great tax incentives and government stipends to help pay for insurance - and you don't even have to look that hard to find it.
My advice to get started on finding the best individual health insurance plans is to get free quotes. And don't do it online. There are many companies that allow you to call in and they'll answer your questions for free while they give you your free quote.
You can think of questions you want to ask them, like:
What kind of plan is this? For example, it could be an HMO, PPO, or POS plan. Ask them to define the plan for you and what it offers.
You can also ask how restrictive the plan is. For example, if you want to work with a certain doctor or hospital, ask if the plan allows it. If not, ask what other plans are available to you.
Ask what the monthly premium is. You should also ask if the plan allows you to increase the deductible so that your monthly premium is lower. Just make sure you can afford to pay the deductible if and when the time comes.
Ask about the plan's prescription drug coverage.
Ask about copays (and again, if there are options to lower them).
Ask about what tax breaks and incentives you may qualify for (or what the plan allows for).
As you can probably figure out, you won't be able to get these answers very easily if you are searching for quotes online. It is so much better to talk to a live, certified agent when inquiring about individual health insurance.
Next, consider that the insurance agent you talk to on the phone will probably ask you questions like this (so have the information ready):
What is your age?
What is your smoking status?
What is your health history?
As you can see, they are easy questions. Don't wait. It's risky to live without insurance.
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