If you cannot get health insurance through your employer in California, you can buy your own. When you buy your own health insurance, you can pick any of the insurers that operate in California, which means that you can go with the cheapest insurance policy that you can find. Even if you have little or no income, you can obtain health insurance. Health insurance can be purchased in individual and family plans.
Instructions
1. Get quotes from multiple health insurance companies in California. You can do this by visiting and contacting agents in your area or by submitting quote requests online. Health insurance companies in California include Aetna and Kaiser Permanente. Sites where you can get multiple quotes at once include eHealth Insurance and CalHealth (see Resources). You can also use the HealthCare website to learn more about the options in your area. If you cannot afford your own health insurance, or need a subsidized plan, the California Department of Managed Health Care website (see Resources) has a list of state programs that can assist you.
2. Review the costs of both the monthly premiums and services. The premium is what you must pay each month to keep the insurance. The rates for the services vary, such as a $20 co-pay for doctor visits and a $50 co-pay for an emergency room visit. You may discover that the cheapest monthly plan has the highest service rates. If you do not expect to use your insurance except for emergency situations, this may be the best option for you. However, if you need to see a doctor regularly, the co-pay amounts can add up and make this a more expensive plan. Estimate the number of times you expect to visit a doctor and compare plans based on the total cost of premiums and estimated doctor visits. You will also want to look at the deductible amount, which is how much you must pay out of pocket before the insurance covers everything. Usually the cheaper insurance has a higher deductible.
3. Eliminate any coverage quotes that include coverage that you will not use. Depending on your needs, this might include chiropractic or mental health care, for example. Keeping a plan that only has the coverage options you need may minimize the premium.
4. Check the network of doctors and hospitals that the insurance is affiliated with, if you have specific needs. It can be cheaper to be flexible about this, but if you do not want to lose a certain doctor then you should ask.
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