Individual rates are pretty straight forward. Just get them to send you over the rates and just compare the rates. Picking a carrier will be up to you. You need to find out what network your doctors are in and then pick the plan that works with them.

You can apply for insurance with more than one health insurance company. Whether you want the insurance or not, you will have to talk with someone from the insurance company before you are committed to the plan. However, instead of relying on the lowest rates as an above answerer advised, you might want to instead consider what the cost of a health plan actually might be – sometimes the plans with the lowest rates are not the least expensive. Moreover, one of the standard ways health plans keep their prices low is by restricting who you can see and what kinds of procedures you can undergo under the plan.

I’ve included links below to two articles about how to shop for health insurance. I’ve also included a link to US News&World Reports Best Health Plans. These might provide a good starting point as you navigate through individual health plans available in your area.

After you decide on what you can afford, what kind of plan you want (HMO, PPO, fee-for-service), and which companies you’d like to with (your policy is only as solid as the financial strength of the insurer), then compare prices online at a site like MostChoice.com. You can review multiple local plans and speak to more than once state-licensed health insurance agent in your area. There’s no obligation; you just tell the agents what you want and wait until one of them returns with the health plan that provides the level of coverage you’re looking for at a reasonable price.

You can find MostChoice here:
http://www.mostchoice.com/health-insurance.cfm

Hope this helps,
Barnes@MostChoice