Getting Individual Health Insurance For Self Employed?

I had my health insurance lapse 4 years ago and have been without since. Right after my lapse I had to out of pocket a hernia surgery and I don't want to go thru that again. MY QUESTION is: If I went out and picked up an individual plan tomorrow, how long does it take for them to cover me if I am injured and need medical treatment? Be it a visit to a doctors office, a prescription, an x-ray, or a surgery. I'm not a drinker or smoker, nor do I have any current conditions.
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Based on your question I would suggest that you need a trusted adviser to help you through the process of purchasing health insurance so that you understand what you are purchasing. Some may suggest going on line to get a quote but you probably already know that there is much more to health insurance than price. Some might even suggest a discount plan which is not insurance at all. Ultimately, you are the one who determines the affordability of your health insurance plan by deciding how much you will participate in sharing the cost of your health care with your insurance company. If you choose a plan that covers everything i.e. doctors office visits, prescription drugs, preventative health benefits, maternity coverage as well as low deductibles, low copays and optional vision and dental benefits your monthly premiums will be significant. On the other hand if you are young, healthy and use the health care system rarely you could consider a plan that covers only the major health catastrophe which will result in a relatively low monthly premium. You then can use the monthly premium savings to pay for the occasional doctor visit and still come out ahead. Check with the agent that writes your home or auto insurance he/she can provide you a health insurance proposal that takes into account your budget and health status. They can answer questions as to what is and is not covered by the policy, explain deductibles and copays and show you the hospitals and doctors that participate in the network. Use the Internet to educate yourself but use an agent to purchase the coverage.
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