If you do not have access to employer-sponsored group insurance, you may want to buy individual health insurance from a private insurance company.  However, in North Dakota - as in most other states - you have limited guaranteed access to individual health insurance.  Whether you can buy individual health insurance may depend on your health status, the kind of coverage you want to buy, and other circumstances. Also, there are some alternatives to individual health insurance coverage such as COBRA, conversion policies, and the Comprehensive Health Association of North Dakota (CHAND). This chapter summarizes your protections under different kinds of health plan coverage.