Cutting the Cost of Health Insurance
by: Stephen Sikes
Are you looking over your monthly bills and trying to figure out where you can drop a few more dollars off of the money you are spending each month? You're not alone. A lot of people are doing the same thing. One area many are looking at are their big bills, like health insurance. Think you can't do anything about what you pay in health insurance? Think again. There are a lot of ways you can cut some of your coverage or change a thing or two and find a savings.
Prescription Drugs
What kind of prescription drug program does your current health insurance plan have and do you use it? If you are not the type that gets a lot of medication, you may be paying for a service you never use. See if it is optional and you can opt out of the drug program if it is. Add up the money you save on that program and put it away so if you do need some sort of medication you have the money for it.
Another possibility is that you do need medication regularly. If this is you, you should talk to your current health insurance provider and see if they have a way to save even more on your drugs. Many health insurance companies have mail in prescription programs that will let you save a lot of money by purchasing your medication three months at a time.
Flex Savings Account
If you are the type that doesn’t need a lot of medical coverage and are thinking of cutting back on your insurance coverage to save money, why not put away some of the money you are saving. If you start a flex savings account (FSA) through your employer you should be able to put money away (pre tax) and then have an account to use for your medical expenses, tax free. This could mean a 30 percent savings in money you don't spend on taxes.
Health Insurance With No Job
If your job has been one that has been cut because of the economy, you may find yourself facing a tough decision. COBRA health insurance is horribly expensive, but your other option is not to have any, right? Wrong. There are plenty of insurance companies that offer individual health insurance. You just need to look around to see who they are and check for better rates.
Comparison Shopping
The best way to save on health insurance is to do some shopping. This is easy thanks to the internet. Just use an insurance comparison website and put in what you need. Then the rates will come to you and you can choose one you can afford.
About the Author
Steve Sikes is an MBA and writes articles on insurance and other financial products. To read other educational articles on insurance at the InsuredItAll Learning Center or to get free insurance quotes for auto, home, health, life or long term care insurance, you will want to visit <a href="http://www.InsuredItAll.com">www.InsuredItAll.com</a>