The Commonwealth Fund recently released a report showing that during 2011, close to 25 percent of Americans were without health insurance for some period of time.

The firm's Health Insurance Tracking Survey also noted that close to 70 percent of those without some type of healthcare policy went without one for longer than one year. In addition, 50 million Americans are currently without a plan, likely due to unemployment or a lack of benefits from their workplace due to the difficult economy.

Americans who do not have a specific healthcare policy are more likely to miss out on necessary check-ups and other important doctor visits, the report said. In addition, consumers could miss out on finding information such as cancer diagnoses. Specifically, 75 percent of those women with health insurance between the ages of 40 and 64 have received a mammogram in the past two years. However, fewer than 30 percent who were without insurance for 12 months or more had the same procedure.

Those who don't have a healthcare plan shouldn't abandon their search, as they could benefit from an inexpensive private option. By going online and comparing affordable health insurance rates, there may be an available policy that isn't expensive.