Cutting Your Health Insurance Bills

With health care costs constantly rising, you may be looking for ways to lower your medical and health insurance expenses. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Practice prevention
This may seem basic, but one of the most effective ways to lower your medical expenses over time is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. For example, you can:

Take advantage of wellness programs
Maintain a healthy weight
Exercise regularly
Kick unhealthy habits (e.g. smoking)
Have regular checkups

Shop around for health insurance
If you don't have employer-sponsored health insurance, you may be ready to look for individual health insurance. Because premiums vary widely, you'll probably save money if you get quotes from several companies. Evaluate each plan's coverage and features, taking into account exclusions, limitations, and the freedom to choose health care providers, among other things. Also find out how much you'll end up paying out of pocket in the form of co-payments, coinsurance, and deductibles, because even relatively small amounts of money can really add up if you make frequent visits to your doctor. If you're healthy and just want protection for a major illness or accident, consider Catastrophic Health Insurance Coverage.