Who here remembers the shocking scene in the first Indiana Jones flick, when the professor is confronted by a crazed, Berber-wrapped, Islamofascist, knife- wielding dervish in a market? He pulls out his gun.

A gun: Read your contract. Even in a lawless state, you need to read your contract. Even if your coverage is negotiated by your employer --so all you receive is a certificate of coverage envelope, containing 1,000pages of benefit terms and claims instructions-- get hold of the group's master policy. It may be turned against your ignorance. You will be looking for mandatory clauses, that are notices such as "free-look" period, guaranteed insurability or "future increase option", and renewability provisions required by state commissions. There are five, mutually exclusive mechanisms that determine lawful termination of a policy, irrespective of mandates governing insurers' obligations in the event of (mis)representation of "pre-existing conditions" and their purported mind-boggling expenses.

1. noncancelable. Not even SSI is noncancelable.
   
2. guaranteed renewable. Not even SSI is guaranteed renewable.
   
3. conditionally renewable. SSI and Medicaid for example.
   
4. renewable at option of insurer. Coverage is conditionally renewable or cancelable for any reason on policy anniversay or premium due-date, e.g. bi-monthly payroll. Very popular.
   
5. nonrenewable (a/k/a "term"). Like, travel insurance and funeral insurance on children. Very inexpensive.