How Do I Get My Own Health Insurance? 
You 're generally getting your health insurance coverage from one of two places , the individual market or your spouse 's group coverage . If you qualify for a subsidy , you would want to look at health insurance ON the exchanges - subsidies can only be used for on-exchange policies . The first open enrollment period under the Affordable Care Act ended on March 31 , 2014 . If you 're looking for an individual policy , you will need a special enrollment period -LRB- a qualifying `` life-changing event '' -RRB- to purchase a plan outside the open enrollment period , otherwise you may be subject to paying a penalty . The penalty in 2014 is the greater of : 1 -RRB- 1 % of your yearly household income featuring a maximum penalty as the national average yearly premium for a bronze plan . 2 -RRB- $ 95 per person for the year -LRB- If under age 18 , then $ 47.50 -RRB- featuring a maximum penalty per family of $ 285 under this method . The penalty figures will change in future years . Consulting with an experienced broker is always a great first step to learn more about plans available in your area and discuss and compare quotes . Please feel free to contact me for further assistance . Thanks very much . 