Getting Health Coverage

Many people get health coverage through their employer. This is called group coverage. Employers may offer several plans to choose from, and employees get a chance to change their plan once a year during open enrollment.

Some people purchase their own coverage because it is not available through their employer. This is called individual health insurance coverage. Individual health insurance coverage is a good option for people who are:

• In between jobs
• Self-employed
• Early retirees
• Recent college graduates
• Part-time workers

Some Americans receive health coverage through government programs. Some examples of government health programs are Medicare, Medicaid and other programs run by individual states.