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Individual insurance

• COBRA
• Individual plans
• More information on individual insurance

COBRA

If you are younger than 65 and are self-employed, work part time, or are retired, you may be able to get individual insurance or extend your work policy through COBRA.

In 1985, Congress passed a law called the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA). Under COBRA, it's possible to keep your health care for a limited amount of time after you leave your job. Your employer must have 20 or more employees for you to be eligible. However, some states may offer similar benefits to employees of smaller companies. Keep in mind that with COBRA, you will usually be paying the full premium. This is what you were normally paying, plus the amount that your employer contributed.

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Individual plans

If COBRA is not an option or has run out, you can look for an individual plan. Qualifying for an individual plan that is affordable has not been easy for many people, especially people older than 50 and with health problems. But the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (health care reform), which Congress passed in March 2010, will make it easier for people looking to buy insurance for themselves. By 2014, each state will offer health insurance exchanges, where people can shop for high-quality, affordable insurance plans. This option has particular appeal to people aged 55 to 64, fewer than half of whom work full time.

Until these exchanges are ready, the new law will provide for temporary programs that:

• Make it easier for employers to provide health care coverage to early retirees who are not eligible for Medicare and lower retirees' premium costs
• Provide affordable insurance for uninsured Americans with preexisting health problems

In time, the new law also will make it easier for people to get and keep health insurance by:

• Banning insurance companies from setting lifetime limits on how much they will pay if you get sick and dropping your health coverage if you get sick
• Capping how much insurance companies can make you pay in out-of-pocket expenses
• Banning insurance companies from denying coverage or charging more based on your medical history
• Limiting how much insurance companies can charge based on age

Some changes will begin right away and others over the next few years.

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More information on individual insurance

Read more from womenshealth.gov

• Health Insurance and Women Fact Sheet — This fact sheet explains what health insurance is and how it affects women. It gives information on health care options, what to do if you're uninsured, what to do if you don't qualify for government benefits, and what you can do to protect your health insurance benefits.
  http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/health-insurance-women.cfm

Explore other publications and websites

• Guide to Disability Income Insurance (Copyright © America's Health Insurance Plans) — This booklet explains the various sources of disability income, what disability income insurance is, and what it covers. It includes a worksheet you can use to evaluate personal sources of disability income, as well as a checklist of policy features you can use to compare disability income-insurance policies.
  http://www.ahip.org/content/default.aspx?bc=41|329|352
• Health Care — Health Insurance (Copyright © Baylor College of Medicine) — This publication lists the barriers that limit the access to adequate health insurance for women with disabilities.
  http://www.bcm.edu/crowd/?pmid=1433
• Health Insurance: Understanding What It Covers (Copyright © American Academy of Family Physicians) — This publication is designed to help you understand the term "covered services." It also describes what you can do if your health care provider does not cover a physician-recommended treatment or prescription.
  http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/pat-advocacy/insurance/688.html
• Health Reform for American Seniors — There is a lot of confusion over what the recent health care reform means for Americans. This fact sheet sets the record straight on how the Affordable Care Act affects Americans as they get older.
  http://www.whitehouse.gov/files/documents/health_reform_for_seniors.pdf
• Questions and Answers About Health Insurance (Copyright © America’s Health Insurance Plans) — This guide briefly describes the different kinds of health insurance plans available today. These include network-based plans, non-network based coverage, and consumer-directed health plans. Also, you will find answers to many common questions about health insurance. Resources are provided at the end of the booklet to help you find additional, more detailed information.
  http://www.ahip.org/content/default.aspx?bc=41|329|20888
• Title XVII — Health Insurance for the Aged and Disabled — This report is an online copy of the Social Security Act Title XVII. It includes information on hospital and medical insurance benefits, Medicare, prescription drug benefits, and more.
  http://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/ssact/title18/1800.htm

Connect with other organizations

• America’s Health Insurance Plans
  http://www.ahip.org
• American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
  http://www.aarp.org/
• HealthCare.gov
  http://www.healthcare.gov/
• National Institute on Aging, NIH, HHS
  http://www.nia.nih.gov/
• The AGS Foundation for Health in Aging
  http://www.healthinaging.org/

Content last updated August 12, 2010.

Resources last updated August 12, 2010.

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