How to Get Health Insurance Quickly
Most of us get our health insurance from our employers, so when we change jobs or get laid off, we need to find new health insurance coverage quickly. Remaining without health insurance for even a single day can be very dangerous. With the cost of emergency care so high, no one can afford to go without the coverage they need. Fortunately, there are a number of strategies individuals can use to get the coverage they need and get it quickly.
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Instructions
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Contact the human resources department at your employer if you have been laid off or terminated. You might be eligible to continue the coverage you had under the COBRA law. You will, however, be responsible for the entire cost of the policy, both the employee's portion and the employer's.
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Contact the health or welfare department at your state to inquire about health insurance plans for laid-off workers and low-income individuals. Depending on your age, income and job situation, you may be eligible for free or low-cost health insurance subsidized by the state or federal government.
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Log on to the website maintained by the National Association of Health Underwriters, or NAHU. The website is available at nahu.org. Click the "Find an Agent" button and complete the form to get a list of agents in your area.
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Contact your local agent and review your health care options. In some cases, a high deductible plan, coupled with a health savings account, will provide the most cost-effective health care coverage.
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Call several of the large health insurers in your area and ask about the individual plans they offer. Many insurance companies have begun aggressively marketing health care plans to individual consumers.
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References
- Photo Credit Health image by Greg Carpenter from Fotolia.com
