If you do not have access to employer-sponsored group insurance, you may want to buy an individual health policy from a private insurer.  However, in Louisiana - as in most other states - you have limited guaranteed access to individual health insurance. Whether you can buy an individual health policy may depend on your health status, the kind of coverage you want to buy, and other circumstances.  There are alternatives to individual health insurance coverage - such as COBRA coverage and the Louisiana Health Plan. This chapter summarizes your protections under different kinds of health plan coverage.