Purchase Private Individual Insurance and Long-Term Care  If you are not able to obtain a group policy and you exceed the income requirements for government-sponsored programs, you may be able to buy individual coverage directly from a licensed health carrier. Individual policies can be expensive, and carriers will evaluate your health risk factors before making a decision to issue coverage. That means that if you have a serious medical condition, or are predisposed toward a certain condition, a carrier may decline to issue coverage. However, if a carrier you coverage, check with another carrier. Each carrier has different criteria for accepting customers. Individual coverage may be purchased as either an indemnity or managed care plan. Indemnity plans are sold exclusively by insurance companies, and will generally cover services from any licensed health provider as long as treatment is consistent with the terms of the policy. Whereas, managed care plans can be sold by both insurance companies and HMOs.  Typically, managed care plans are more affordable than indemnity plans, but indemnity plans provide members with the most flexibility in obtaining health services. Long-term care insurance refers to the many services beyond medical care and nursing care used by people who have disabilities or chronic illnesses. Long-term care insurance helps you pay for services, such as: adult day care, help with daily activies (bathing, dressing eating), skilled nursing at home and ina nursing facility.  Typical health insurance policies and Medicare usually do not pay for long-term care expenses. Medicaid, a federal/state health insurance program, will only pay for long-term care if you've already spent most of your savings or other assets. Before purchasing any individual health plan, it is important to verify that the carrier and agent are licensed. Verifying that the carrier is licensed protects you against fraud. Consult one of the insurance guides Verify an agent and company is licensed in the District Learn more about long-term care insurance If you are unable to afford private individual policies, you may also: Seek coverage through your employer Identify options if you are recently unemployed Locate other group coverage Identify government-sponsored programs Find low-cost health services available * This document is presented in Portable Document Format (PDF) and a PDF reader is required for viewing. Download a PDF reader or learn more about PDFs. Back to Finding Insurance That Is Right for You