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Individual health insurance is frequently the only option for those who are not at the level of income that allows them to take advantage of state and national programs and who do not have employer-provided care. For self-employed individuals, it is frequently the only option. The prices can be very high and determining what is covered can be a difficult task.
Most anyone can purchase individual health insurance. What will vary is not your eligibility, in most cases, but the rates which you will pay. These rates will be partially determined by factors you cannot control, such as your age and prior health history and by some factors you can control, such as smoking and your cholesterol levels. Before you start applying, you may want to make some changes.
You can take the problems associated with purchasing individual health insurance as an opportunity. If you haven’t already, stop smoking. Being a former smoker will drive up your rates but being a current smoker will drive them up even higher. Tobacco use or, rather, ending tobacco use, is one of the single best ways to lower your premiums.
You’ll be asked, in the vast majority of cases, to undergo a physical examination before you’ll be offered an individual health insurance policy. When you start hunting around for policies, you may also want to start improving your health habits in preparation for the physical. Remember that high levels of cholesterol, high blood pressure and other factors that can be brought about by an unhealthy lifestyle will work against you. Endeavor to correct them.
You can purchase individual health insurance policies through a company or by taking advantage of the services of an insurance agent. Oftentimes, insurance agents will be able to tell you about the best options available to you relative to your age and health level. They’ll also be able to give you a heads up about factors that may affect your rates that you hadn’t considered. With health insurance, it’s not a bad idea to have an agent help you through the process.
There are some discount individual health insurance policies available, as well. These may do in a pinch but don’t expect them to come through when a major medical crisis arises. It’s also very important to see what they will and will not cover. If your income is high enough, you may well find that you could handle the bills they do cover yourself and that they’d be of little use in cases where the bills would be too high.
Individual health insurance is a very complicated and, thus, very intimidating purchase for many individuals. Educate yourself before you get started and accept help where it’s offered.