5 Ways to Lower Your Health Insurance Costs

With household budgets straining to stay on-track, many families and individuals are scrambling to find ways to save on their health insurance premiums each month. Let’s admit it: health insurance is expensive – but overall, any kind of medical care can make or break many households.  Prior to the economic downturn, when I still worked in corporate America, my personal health insurance policy ran right at $56/month. And that rate included health care, dental, and vision. Oh – and even better, my deductible was just $300/month! Granted: this was 2005. Now, as a full-time blogger, I have found maintaining health insurance to be costly to say the least. This article will shed some light on the areas where savings can be made through a few (mostly painless) changes on your end.

Good Health

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle helps lower premiums on health insurance. Carrying extra body fat causes your body to work harder, which can affect your blood pressure, heart health and joint capabilities. Participating in a solid fitness routine – or just getting the blood pumping by taking a brisk walk each evening after dinner helps keeps the weight in check. Taking care of yourself can mean lower health insurance savings through reducing the need for repeated clinic or hospital visits and/or reduce the need for prescription medicines. Preventing pre-existing health issues which spike insurance rates as a whole, can save money now – and in the years to come.

Preventive Medicine

Aside from instituting a good fitness routine, staying proactive in regard to your health can make for saving a tidy sum. Most health insurance policies provide for an annual check-up either at no charge, or for a reduced rate as compared to general medical visits. Take them up on the offer!  You may be healthy as a horse… or you might find something that needs attention – and early treatment can save money overall.

Two by Two

It’s a fact: married couples pay less for health insurance coverage than singles do. Now: this doesn’t mean you should run off and get married just to lower your insurance costs. However, consider another fascinating fact: married couples have shown higher immunity to disease, tend to work toward maintaining better health-habits, and happily married couples tend to have less stress – therefore creating less heart-related issues.

Higher Deductibles

We don’t like envision to taking on higher deductibles, but raising your deductable will save money in the long run. If you can afford to raise your health insurance deductible from $500 to $1,000, you could save as much as 25%. For people who are in good health, and who know they don’t incur more than one or two doctor’s visits each calendar year, raising your deductible can save a bundle. My experience has been that I usually have

Cut Out the Bad Stuff

Stopping smoking will lower your monthly health insurance bills – as well as having the potential for lowering your home owner’s insurance policy.  Data provided by FEMA and the National Fire Protection Association shows that lighted tobacco products caused an estimated 15,000 smoking-related fire casualties in 2005. While most home owners’ policies charge an additional fee for smokers, the health risks may cause higher medical claims – which ultimately result in your health insurance premiums rising. If you smoke, and you are serious about lowering your monthly bills, consider quitting.

Overall, there are several painless ways to lower your insurance costs.  Doing your homework and comparing the most affordable – and beneficial – insurance policies to help lower your monthly insurance bills will take some dedication and a bit of time out off your day. However, the benefits but will result in significant monthly savings in the long run.

What changes have you made in order to lower your health insurance costs?  Share them with us here!