What Is Important When Purchasing Health Insurance? 
The two big pieces that everyone looks at when buying an individual health plan these days are the plan metal levels and the premiums . Under the Affordable Care Act , individual health plans are , in short , guaranteed-issue as insurance companies can no longer decline you for a pre-existing condition or other health-related illness . When determining which plan is suitable to you , you need to evaluate your premium tolerance -LRB- how big a check you 're comfortable writing so-to-speak -RRB- , do you qualify for a subsidy , and are you willing to take on more risk to keep your premiums down or do you want to create a more predictable healthcare expense structure . If you qualify for a subsidy , you would want to look at ON-exchange health plans first - subsidies can only be used towards on-exchange plans , not off-exchange plans . These three pieces will point you in the proper direction to start . You can run free instant quotes on my website , TermInsuranceBrokers.com , if you want to compare plans in your area . You may also want to see if your employer offers group coverage and , if they do , see how it compares to an individual plan . Group plans can be great , but the main drawback is that if you leave the company or are terminated , the coverage does n't go with you . Your best option is to review your options with an independent health insurance agent/broker to see which carrier 's plan is going to be the most suitable for your needs . If you 'd like some help with this , send me a message through the `` contact me '' link . 