1. Get Into a Group if Possible
If there is any possibility of your obtaining group health insurance instead of individual insurance, do it. Group insurance is almost always much less expensive than individual insurance and it generally provides more benefits as well. Some trade unions and professional associations offer group insurance to their members, so be sure to check into that.
2. You Better Shop Around
Compare individual health insurance plans before you pick one. Consider how much you can afford to pay in premiums and what your medical needs are likely to be. If you're likely to need obstetric care, you'll probably want a different plan than if you may need long-term care. Other things to consider are how much your co-payments will be, the amount of the deductible, whether or not preventive care such as immunizations or mammograms are included, if the plan includes vision and dental care, coverage of emergency care, any prescription benefits and how much is provided for hospitalization. A great concern for some individuals is whether a pre-existing condition will be covered.
3. Pick Your Providers
Indemnity insurance, also called fee-for-service insurance, will pay a part of any medical service you receive, including clinic visits, laboratory tests and similar services. You have to pay the rest. With this type of insurance you can choose your own doctors, hospitals and pharmacies, but both the premiums and your share of the costs may be higher than with other kinds of individual health insurance.
4. Save Money With Managed Care
Managed care plans include preferred provider organizations (PPOs) and health maintenance organizations (HMOs). Most managed care plans offer individual insurance. While your premiums may be kess than with a traditional indemnity plan, you may have little or no choice in the doctor(s) you see or the clinic and hospital you use. Both types have "networks" of physicians and other providers; while HMOs don't cover any service done by a non-network provider, PPOs may cover them but your co-pay will be higher. One advantage of managed care for individuals with pre-existing health conditions is that they often have open enrollment periods, usually one month of the year, when they must let you join even if you have a serious health problem. Some states require this.
5. Are you High-Risk?
Most individual insurance plans prefer to avoid high-risk members, individuals with serious medical problems or the likelihood of such problems. A type of insurance called a High-Risk Pool may be your best or only chance of obtaining insurance if you fit that category. They're not available in all states, so check with your state insurance department to see if your state has one. You'll qualify for a high-risk pool if you've been refused insurance by at least two other companies, or if you couldn't find insurance with a lower monthly premium than that of the high-risk pool.
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