Here's another COBRA related question: When my husband dies (soon, we are told) I will no longer have health insurance because he carries me and my daughters on his plan through his employer. I will have to continue with COBRA coverage, but it will be 4X what my husband pays now. Imagine--I will be reduced to one income, and COBRA will be nearly half my monthly take-home salary as a public school teacher. Alternately, I could take on coverage through MY employer during open enrollment in the fall, but even there a family plan costs almost as much as the COBRA will cost.

My question: will I be able to seek out health insurance through an independent company rather than my empoyer? And if so, how do I know if I'm getting a "good deal" and reliable coverage? I'm so worried about this. Right now, my daughters and I are healthy and always have been, but I'd be terrified to go one minute without coverage, yet I can't afford to pay the outrageous prices that a family plan costs. (We really had a good deal through my husband's employer.)

Christine