[laurav]

Well, here's my question, and I appreciate any responses. I'm facing the prospect of being soon uninsured. I do not work for a large corporation (I have various freelancing gigs) and my temporary health insurance soon runs out.

I've found various plans for individuals, but they all cost so much that I'd be actively making myself less healthy by paying it! (I'd be cutting out, say, food).

Why can I not find affordable insurance for an individual? Even when I'm young and healthy? What regulations are on the books that prevent this? What rules? What insurance policies?

I don't favor socialized medicine at all, but the whole system makes no sense to me.

[jwalsh07]

If you are young and healthy then you probably don't need comprehensive health insurance. You should look into a catastrophic policy and then write to your Congressman imploring him to do something about Medical Savings Accounts.

If you have a family, it's an entirely different matter.

[FITZ]

Why can I not find affordable insurance for an individual?

If you don't own a house or have your assets in the US, you can get all your healthcare free. It's an uneven system ---some people are expected to pay very high premiums and deductibles and taxes to provide free health care for many who choose not to buy insurance or pay anything in.

[joonbug]

How about looking at an HMO? If you are young and healthy, they want you as you will probably not comsume many health care $$. Or get a policy with a high copay or deductible which won't matter unless you get really sick, which is not very likely.