Assuming you aren't independently wealthy (and even then you'd be crazy to go uninsured), health insurance is a must have. While finding affordable and comprehensive health insurance coverage might seem daunting, a thorough understanding of the basics can go a long way

If you don't have access to health insurance through your employer, you're likely in the market for an individual health insurance policy. Depending on the state in which you live, you may have guaranteed access to coverage or you may not. If you don't your application will be medically underwritten which means you could either be charged a higher rate or turned down altogether. See our state-by-state health insurance resource guide for more details.

If you're buying an individual health insurance plan, you'll need to be familiar with several acronyms. For instance, there are PPO (Preferred Provider Organization), HMO (Health Maintenance Organization), and POS (Point of Service plans. If that isn't enough, you've got to contend with a myriad of deductible, co-insurance and co-pay options. Fortunately we make it easy to compare policies with our side by side comparisons.

Before you starting looking at health insurance quotes, you need to consider the following:

• What deductible can I afford?
• What networks do my doctors participate in?
• Do I need maternity coverage?
• What are my prescription requirements?