For anyone who is unemployed, self employed, or works somewhere that doesn’t offer medical insurance, finding your own health insurance can be an extremely daunting task. There are hundreds of companies offering plans of all different types at all different price ranges. How do you choose a plan that is right for you and what options do you have? Use these resources to help you find a health insurance plan that is right for you.

1. Government Uninsured Help Line: The Foundation for Health Coverage Education created this free helpline to aid people who are looking for health isnurance and want to know what options they have. Make sure you have information available about your income, number of family members, ages, and health conditions ready so they can provide you with all of your options. You can call them at 800-234-1317 or visit their website at Coverage For All
2. Government Healthcare Website: To help people navigate the difficult web of health insurance options, the government created a website, HealthCare.gov, that helps connect people with private insurance companies and governmental insurance options. By entering information about where you live, your health conditions, family members, ages, and income, the site gives you a number of options for health insurance in your area.
3. COBRA Insurance: If you lost, quit, or retired from your job in the last 60 days you are probably eligible for COBRA health insurance. With COBRA you can keep the health insurance plan you had with your employer for up to 18 months in most cases. In addition, many states offer state run COBRA insurance if you don’t qualify for the federal plan.
4. Free Health Insurance Quotes: Similar to the government website, you can also get free quotes through a private health insurance company to learn about your options. Sometimes these sites are more up to date than the government sites and offer more accurate prices.
5. Preexisting Condition Insurance Plans: If you have a preexisting condition and have difficult qualifying for health insurance, you may be able to sign up for a PCIP, or preexisting condition plan. These plans cover people who have preexisting conditions and can’t find health insurance.