Affordable Health Insurance For People Without Employment

None of us enjoy being unemployed and it can place a considerable burden on both you and your family. You may even find that you have to depend to some extent on other people to help you cover day to day living expenses and perhaps temporarily put a roof over your head and feed you. This is also a time however when, despite the financial burdens, you really cannot afford to be without at least some basic health insurance cover as illness or accident, even as trivial as a simple broken leg, could suddenly find you with medical bills which you cannot meet. But where do you find affordable health insurance when you are unemployed?If you have recently been working then COBRA might provide one answer. COBRA (the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986) allows most people who are members of an employer's health scheme to continue to be covered by that scheme for a period after they have left employment. In general this period is up to 18 months, although there are circumstances in which it can be extended to 36 months. The scheme is mainly designed for people who are between jobs and do not need long term cover but do need cover until they find a new job and become eligible for their new employer's health scheme. COBRA can also cover your spouse and children and you should begin by asking your employer whether or not you are eligible for cover.If you are not eligible for cover under the provisions of COBRA then you will need to look for some form of private individual or family cover and here again you should start by looking for group schemes similar to those provided by employers but this time designed for members of organizations or clubs. For example, if you are a member of a motoring organization then you may well find that they have a scheme specially designed for their members. Similarly, if you belong to a local club, they too may have organized health insurance for their members.If this again does not apply in your case then you will need to widen your search and here the Internet can be an excellent place to turn. There are many excellent insurance websites which will be able to provide you with details of plans to meet your requirements and where you will be able to obtain free no-obligation quotes.One important thing to remember is that you need to tailor your plan to both your health needs and your budget and it is a good idea to look for a scaleable plan which will allow you take just basic cover at the outset and then expand your cover at a later date when your financial position improves.Life is unpredictable and, just as most of us do not expect to lose our jobs, so too we do not expect to fall ill or be injured in a car accident. Reduced financial circumstances are something which none of us wish to experience but sometimes we have no choice and simply have to make the best of things. However, do not run the risk of making an already bad situation worse for both yourself and your family but believing that you can get through the next few months without adequate health insurance cover. You might be lucky but, if you are not, you could find yourself in financial distress for the rest of your life.