You may qualify for a health savings account (HSA). These accounts allow you to set aside pre-tax income to pay for medical expenses. They must be combined with a high-deductible health insurance policy to provide a two-part health plan. They are usually administered by your employer, who withholds the money from your paycheck. Your employer’s benefits or human resources person can provide more details. COBRA, the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, guarantees your right to continue participating in your employer-sponsored group health plan for a limited period of time after your job ends—as long as your employer has 20 or more workers. However, it’s pricey: You will have to pay the full premium, including the share your employer previously paid on your behalf, plus 2 percent to help pay the employer’s administrative costs. (You pay your premiums to your employer rather than to the insurance company.) COBRA usually guarantees 18 months of coverage, but can be extended to 29 to 36 months under special circumstances. Short-term health policies can offer a temporary--and affordable--safety net in case of illness or injury. These low-cost plans are designed for healthy people who don’t need coverage for pre-existing conditions. If you do have a pre-existing condition, it won’t be covered under most short-term plans. A short-term health insurance policy works like an indemnity plan, which generally gives you the freedom to go to any doctor or specialist you like. Surgery, hospital care, emergency services, diagnostic tests, prescription drugs, follow-up office visits, and even limited mental health care are included under most short-term health policies. However, short-term health coverage does not typically pay for routine preventative care such as physical exams, immunizations, and PAP tests. Typically, the plan doesn’t pay unless you’ve actually suffered an illness or injury for the first time while covered under the short-term policy.