The Affordable Care Act (ACA) offers health insurance plans for individuals and families that are not part of a group plan. The only problem with these "Obamacare" plans is that they seem to be getting less "affordable" every year.

For people who are reasonably healthy and don't need or want such extensive coverage, Short Term Medical (STM) plans can be a great option. While they do have some important limitations, they provide many excellent benefits and important protection against catastrophic medical bills. And best of all, the cost can be much lower.

Another alternative to ACA plans are the Ministry-based cost-sharing plans. You can learn more about cost-sharing plans here.