 [ Symptoms ] lying down flat and lifting up my head my stomach bulges in the center from my chest to my navel and is very soft my ab muscles are hard on either side but the center is bulging and soft is this normal or is this some kind of hernia [ Disease ] the good news for you is that you are now eligible to purchase a health plan through your state is marketplace if you are not working it is highly likely you will pay significantly less for a plan than what your cobra coverage currently costs in addition the health reform law now makes it illegal for insurers to deny anyone on the basis of their medical history so the concerns you have had in the past about being denied because of your health condition will go away