You're young, healthy, uninsured. What major medical insurance plan do you get?

The best (your) money can buy. I think that you might be able to find a company who will give you a lower cost, but not likely.

What is your budget? If you are a grad student, does your school offer student health or some other form of group insurance? Otherwise, I think for a young person (I assume without major preexisting conditions), you might try Kaiser Permanente. I just went over to their website, and they can give you an instant quote. Note: I have no affiliation with KP, but I like their managed care model.

I’m extremely eager to hear from people with experience with major medical plans personally. I can do web research, but hearing firsthand experience is super valuable. Thanks and much lurve.

I know lots of people who are very happy with KP. Since your screen name is ecogal, I’m going to assume you are a woman. Therefore, you need more than just emergency care, including annual physicals and PAP smears and possibly new vaccinations. KP is great for that, in that they truly focus on prevention in addition to cure.

Personally, I have HealthNet through my work, which is ok, but I never go to the doctor except when I develop weekend warrior syndrome…

Here’s some of my firsthand advice about CA health insurance:
http://www.fluther.com/disc/4217/best-insurance-for-a-relatively-healthy-young-woman/

I would say a Health savings plan. It was an option that worked for my friend.

What ever plan you go with, keep in mind that a high deductible is probably a good idea for you. You want to keep the monthly premium as low as possible. I’m self employed, young, and healthy, so I purchased insurance for about $65/month with a $5000 deductible. You might not find the same rates in CA, but something along those lines should be possible. Of course, I always have this feeling that if something were to happen to me, I’d spend more energy yelling at my friends NOT to call an ambulance than anything else.

The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) independently rates US health insurers and most of their plans. It’s one way to compare the quality of health insurance providers.

Try starting here.