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Shop Online When Looking for Health Insurance

Friday, Dec 19, 2008 | Updated 4:27 PM EST

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A new health care crisis may be on the horizon with people losing coverage as they lose their jobs.

After she was laid off in October, single mom Shannon Rohan quickly had to find health insurance for her and her two children. She was covered under Cobra, but at a cost of $830 per month. So she went online and found a similar package for $350.

Sam Gibbs, of eHealthInsurance.com, said you can go online and buy the same brand name plans that are used by large corporations.

"These are Blue Cross plans, Blue Shield plans, Aetna, United Healthcare, Pacific Care, all of those name brands that provide group coverage, they also provide individual and family coverage," Gibbs said.

They can be cheaper, too, because individuals can pick what services they want instead of corporate plans that offer an umbrella of care.

The AARP said don't rule out Cobra, though, especially if you have a pre-existing condition.

"We would say that if you are shopping online for health insurance and you find something that you might be interested in, contact the insurance company," said Christina Clem, of AARP. "Make sure that what they have online is really available and that's going to work for you. At the very least, check and see what their customer service is like and whether this is a company you would like to go with."