With private health coverage, you pay a company a certain amount of money to be part of its plan. This payment is called a premium. You can get private employer-sponsored health coverage through your job, or you can buy private individual health coverage on your own. If your employer offers health coverage, they may pay for some, or all, of your premium. If you buy individual coverage, you pay the entire premium. Unions and other professional organizations may also offer health coverage and contribute to premium payments.

There are a number of ways that plans are organized. Some plans are inexpensive but limit your choice of doctors or keep their costs down in other ways. Other types cost more money, but let you choose which doctor to go to. All plans will help with your medical costs if the premium is paid and if you follow the plan’s rules.

Private health coverage in California is regulated by a combination of state and federal laws. These laws offer protections for you when you are buying or switching health coverage. Which laws apply depend on a number of factors specific to your situation.