Heath insurance provider advice/search

[JavaBrewer]

Well my COBRA eligibility expired a couple months ago. I work for a small company (I am the West Coast) and thus they don't have a corporate plan option for California. My family is covered through BlueCross and last time I checked I was not eligible to join them due to preexisting conditions (meds for BP and cholesterol) without paying upwards of $1K/month just for myself. I am going to be 49 this year. I exercise and am in good shape but using the body height/mass (5-11 & 195lbs) scale I am classified as almost 'obese' LOL.

So - what advice do you folks offer in seeking out and selecting an insurance provider? Two years ago I used an online site to generate a quote for my family and was literally bombarded with spam mail. Would love to avoid that this time if possible.

Thanks!

[VincentVega]

I just left Cobra myself, went with one of the lower 'high' deductible plans I could find. This site was pretty helpful comparing plans from different providers, Health Insurance - Find Affordable Health Insurance Plans and Buy Medical Coverage Online