You buy health insurance for the same reason you buy other kinds of insurance, to protect yourself financially. Medical care can be very expensive and you cannot predict what your medical bill will be.

There are essentially two types of individual health insurance plans. An HMO plan offers the most comprehensive coverage and requires that you select one primary care physician that participates with your chosen individual health insurance plan. A PPO plan provides you with the freedom to self refer to specialists and you are not limited to the care of a single primary care physician.