Health Insurance Options That Squeeze Individuals

When it comes to health insurance, one is definitely the loneliest number. Buying a policy on your own instead of through your employer often means getting skimpier benefits and paying higher costs, if you''re approved at all. But as employers pull back on coverage, either canceling policies outright or increasing their employees'' share of the costs, more people are turning to individually purchased insurance, despite its generally lousy track record on protecting and providing for patients when they''re sick. Recent rulings may help curb some of the worst industry practices. But this type of insurance is not a good choice for the faint of heart.