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