If you're freelancing, between jobs, or otherwise without long-term health insurance, The Wall Street Journal offers some tips on how to buy health insurance on your own without getting ripped off.


Photo by cutglassdecanter.

The first step is getting to know all your options, the Journal writes, and one way to do so is by logging on to web-based brokerages that sell health insurance to secure tentative quotes. You often don't have to do more than provide limited, anonymous information about yourself to get a ballpark sense for how much a certain plan will cost. The Journal also advises factoring in other costs beyond premiums, such as related doctor visit charges as well as any annual out-of-pocket maximum fees and benefit limits.


If you're considering working with an agent (which they strongly recommended for first-time purchasers), make sure you know how they'll be compensated.

Agents get commissions from insurers for each policy they sell, often calculated as a percentage of a customer's premiums. These can range from around 3% to as high as 20%, agents and insurance officials say. You want to know if your agent will make more money from selling you a certain plan. Also, commissions can be higher in the first year of a policy, an incentive for unscrupulous agents to "churn" clients, or try to get them to switch policies.

Hit up the full post for other health insurance buying tips. If you've purchased health insurance on your own, let us know about your experience in the comments below. For those who can't afford insurance, browse our related post on staying healthy without it.


Going It Alone When Buying a Health Policy [Wall Street Journal]