The advantages of having an individual health insurance policy include being able to tailor the policy to one's particular situation. For example, added protection not available under a group plan may be included in an individual plan or additional protection over and above that available plan or additional protection over and above that available through group plan may be part of one's individual health policy. Selecting one's health care provider including doctors is another advantage individual health care policies have over some group policies. But individual health policies do have disadvantages. Requirements to be met before being fully covered may be more restrictive.
Individual policies are usually more expensive than group policies.
Claims must be filed which is not the case with all group policies. Preventive health care may not be covered. A higher deductible may be part of the individual health care policy, and lower limits for some coverages including major medical, mental health, and chemical dependency treatment may be part of the individual health policy. Group Health Insurance Group health insurance coverage through an employer or other group also has both advantages and disadvantages. Advantages include part or all of the premium being paid by the employer or other policy holder.