Gail Harriman's health insurance costs rose four times in just over two years, from $550 a month to $1,171, an amount "more than my mortgage." But when the self-employed San Francisco resident tried to switch insurers, she was rejected because of a minor health problem. Harriman, 60, is among the estimated 15 million Americans who buy their own insurance and face far bigger hurdles getting and keeping it than those with job-based coverage. "Most people who work for a company have absolutely no clue about what goes on with people who buy their own insurance," she said.
