People rarely use the words "low cost" and "health insurance" in the same sentence anymore. However, there are a few things you can do to lower the cost of your health insurance. Let's take a look at a few.
Let's start with the hardest choices: stop smoking and lose weight.
Both of these things are hard to do, but if you want to find cheap health insurance, you will have to quit smoking and stop using chew or any other tobacco product. You can't do this half-heartedly. You have to give up.
Getting rid of extra weight is a different story. Most people find it harder to lose weight than to stop smoking. The problem is that your BMI affects a big part of your monthly health insurance premium (Body Mass Index). This is a polite way to talk about being overweight. There is one bit of good news: if you can lose even a little bit of your extra fat, you may be able to move down one rung on your insurance company's BMI scale. If you can do that, you could save hundreds of dollars a year on your health insurance.
Find a health plan for a group. A group health insurance plan is better than an individual plan for two reasons. First, it will cost less than an individual plan. Second, a group plan may give you more freedom when it comes to smoking and weight.
If your job doesn't offer group health insurance, ask around at any clubs, groups, or organisations you belong to. You'd be surprised by how many groups offer health insurance to their members. If you don't belong to any organisations that offer group health insurance, ask your friends and family if they do, and if they do, join!
If you run a home-based business, you might be able to get group rates even if your spouse is the only person who works for you. Even if your business doesn't qualify for group rates, talk to your tax advisor. A portion of your health insurance might be tax deductible, which could make it cheaper.
An HMO or PPO will be cheaper than most individual health insurance plans, but you might have to give up your favourite doctor if he or she isn't a member of the HMO or PPO you're looking into.
Keep a clean credit record. You might not believe it, but your health insurance costs will go down as your credit score goes up.
Start making your life healthier. That means eating a lot less fast food and fried food, and it also means getting some exercise every day. Exercise doesn't always mean going for a run or to the gym. Exercise can be as simple as taking a quick walk around the block or through the park near your home.
Can your co-payments be raised? If you can afford to raise your co-pays to 50% every time you go to the doctor, your health insurance costs will go down by a lot. Of course, this means you'll pay more each time you see your doctor, but if you don't see your doctor often, this can be a great way to save money every month.
How much does your deductible cost? Can you pay for your deductible to go up? If you can, that will lower the amount you pay each month for health insurance almost right away. However, keep in mind that your deductible is the amount you have to pay for your health care each month before your insurance company starts paying. Don't make any promises about money that you can't keep.
Lastly, find 3 websites that let you compare the prices of different health insurance plans in Massachusetts. Fill out forms on 3 different websites using the information you learned from this article. Be sure to put the same information in all 3 forms. This will give your comparisons real meaning.
So, that's all. Once you have the results from all three sites, all you have to do is pick the lowest price and you're done. Here's how to compare low-cost health insurance plans in Massachusetts and come out on top.
