For years, Americans expected their health insurance to be provided by their employers. Health coverage came standard with most jobs, and many people never worried about paying their doctor and hospital bills. Today, the rising cost of healthcare has resulted in many employers transitioning more of the premium cost to their employees or discontinuing their group health insurance altogether. As a result, many Americans are forced into the individual health insurance market to research and purchase their own policy.
Many people think that individual health coverage is more expensive than group health insurance and the options are not as comprehensive. The reality is that individual health insurance offers several advantages over group health insurance. Employers keep shifting more costs onto their employee's shoulders. For many American workers, every few months means a bigger chunk of their paycheck going to pay for their “employer-sponsored” insurance policy. And many workers are finding that these insurance policies leave plenty to be desired.
There are several advantages to owning your own health policy.
- The right coverage for you. With group coverage, everyone gets stuffed into the same policy. You end up paying for benefits you'll never use… and your own unique healthcare needs often get overlooked. In an individual policy, you get health coverage that's tailored for you.
- Coverage you can keep. Leave a job, and you leave behind your employer-sponsored coverage. But with an individual policy, you can go wherever your career path takes you — and your health insurance comes with you.
- You are only responsible for yourself. In a group policy, the cost of healthcare is spread out among everyone. That means you end up paying for everyone else's health choices. With individual coverage, you only pay for your health.
Want to learn more? Get free quotes and compare plans online. In less than a minute, you can see for yourself which plans make the most sense for you.