I've always wondered the same thing! How is anyone supposed to pay for COBRA insurance when they don't have an income? I was laid off last year when my company was sold and I was shocked when the cost of continuing my health insurance was over $400 per month! Because I was diagnosed with bronchitiis a month earlier, I paid the COBRA premium so I wouldn't have a break in coverage and have my bronchitis excluded on my next policy as a pre-existing condition. I told a co-worker at my current job this story and she told me about a short term insurance policy that is designed for my exact situation. I went onto the short term website ( I used  www.gapmedicalinsurance.com, but there are a lot of other similar sites) and got a quote  just to see how much I could've saved, and it turned out to be almost $300/month. I hope someone reads this and saves themselves the ridiculous COBRA cost.

In the convoluted, greedy, profit-driven thinking of health insurance companies, it's believed that if you don't have prior coverage, you are more likely to be sick (active or hidden) than someone whose had continuous coverage.  There's also a small premium cost break, if you qualify.

Studies have found people who don't have health insurance prior to qualifying for Medicare are sicker, often with diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure or worse.  They just couldn't afford the out of pocket cost of care.

Yes, there are a number of companies offering short term polices.  Go to www.ehealthinsurance.com The site is recommended  by Consumer Reports and you'll get a list of companies, polices and benefits available to you.