Many people in New Jersey have turned their search for cheap health insurance online into something close to an obsession. Health insurance is expensive, and it seems like the cost goes up every month. In fact, health insurance has gotten so expensive that almost 17% of New Jersey residents don't have any kind of health insurance.
If you have children under 18 and can't find insurance that fits your budget and covers them, they (and you) might be eligible for the New Jersey Family Care programme, which is a low-cost state-run insurance plan.
There are a few steps that almost anyone can take to lower the amount they have to pay every month for health insurance.
Start with how you live. If you smoke, you've probably heard this before, but it's true: people who smoke pay a lot more for health insurance than people who don't smoke. If you want to save money on health insurance, you have to be just as serious about giving up smoking as you are about giving up chewing tobacco or any other tobacco product.
A health insurance company will also think about how much you weigh. How much you pay for health insurance depends a lot on your BMI, or Body Mass Index. Many people think that losing weight is impossible, but if you can lose even a little bit, you might drop into a lower BMI category. If that happens, you could save hundreds or even thousands of dollars over time on your health insurance premiums.
How good is your credit? Even if you don't believe it, your credit score does affect how much you pay for health insurance, so do everything you can to keep your credit score in good shape. The better your credit score is, the less you'll pay for health insurance.
Can you combine your different insurance policies with the same company? If so, you should get a discount on your health insurance through something called a Multi-Policy Discount.
Have you had health insurance with the same company for at least 5 years? If so, ask for a discount on your long-term plan.
Do you participate in extreme or dangerous sports? Do you drive a car that's fast and sporty? Do you have a job that people think is risky? If you said "Yes" to any of those questions, you probably won't get the cheapest health insurance rate.
Check around to see if you can find a group plan for health insurance. Even if your workplace doesn't offer a group plan or if you work from home, you may still be able to get group health insurance. Do you participate in any clubs or groups? Often, an organisation you wouldn't think of for health insurance offers a great group plan to its members. Start by talking to people. Some churches even offer health insurance for groups of people.
How much is your share? If it is less than 50%, you might want to think about raising it to 50%. This is not a decision you should make on a whim, since it will cost you more each time you go to the doctor. However, if you decide to raise your co-payment, you will pay less each month for your premium. This could be a great way to save a lot of money if you don't see your doctor very often during the average year.
How much does your deductible cost? Again, this is something that needs careful thought because your deductible is a set amount of money that you have to pay for your own medical needs each year before your insurance company will pay anything toward your care. Just keep in mind that the higher your deductible, the less you'll have to pay each month in premiums.
So, now you know. Now that you've read this article, you know how to fill out the form on those websites that let you compare the prices of health insurance in New Jersey online.
Make sure you fill out the form on at least three different websites. If you do this, you'll almost certainly find the absolute lowest price for cheap health insurance here in New Jersey.
