If you do not have access to employer-sponsored group health plan, you may want to buy an individual policy from a private health insurer.  However, in Texas - as in most other states - you have limited guaranteed access to individual health insurance in the private market.  There are some alternatives to private individual health insurance - such as COBRA coverage, state continuation coverage, and Texas Health Insurance Risk Pool coverage.  This chapter summarizes your protections under different kinds of health plan coverage.