Individual coverage is health insurance you buy directly from an insurance company for yourself or for family members.

Some individual health plans may not be available where you live. View our map of individual health plans and their rates by county.

What determines how much you'll pay in premiums

• Your age and the age of any family member on your plan
• Whether or not you smoke
• The size of your family (how many people you want to cover)
• Where you live
• The deductible amount
• The benefits in your health plan

What to expect when you apply

• Most people will need to complete and pass the Standard Health Questionnaire (SHQ) - or health screen, although there are exceptions (see pages 2 and 3 of the SHQ (www.wship.org) (PDF, 164KB)).
• Until health care reform is fully implemented on Jan. 1, 2014, insurance companies may deny you eligibility in an individual health plan due to a pre-existing condition if you have a combined score (www.wship.org) (PDF, 35KB) on the SHQ (www.wship.org) (PDF, 748KB) of 325 points or higher.
• If you fail the questionnaire, the health plan will refer you to the Washington State Health Insurance Pool (WSHIP) for coverage.
• Children under age 19 don't have to complete the SHQ and health insurers cannot deny coverage due to health issues. However, health insurers can create open enrollment periods for this age group.

Updated 05/15/2013