Affordable Insurance - If You're Looking For Ways To Cut Down Cost, Here They Are

If you're looking for how to cut down your insurance cost, you've come to the right article. I'll point you to a few tips that will go a long way to bring down your total insurance budget...

1. Registering with an HMO will help lower your health insurance cost. HMOs offer coverage that is far less expensive than regular plans. Nevertheless, registering with an HMO means you are restricted to the use of only doctors, other health care professionals and hospitals that are part of the network.

For folks who want total freedom of choice in whom and where to get health care, a traditional plan is still your best bet.

All you will have to do is do more thorough shopping for traditional health insurance. If you shop right you will spend much less on any plan you choose. But if in your case you are willing to go with the restrictions, then an HMO is a great option for slashing your cost.

2. The pharmaceutical industry has big brand names. You'll raise your costs if you buy big brand name drugs. But did you know that generic drugs are required by law to include the exact same percentage of active ingredients as brand name drugs? Where the differences start and end are in their selections of inactive ingredients.

This simply suggests that what you receive in brand name drugs is the same thing you get from generic drugs of similar specification. Nevertheless, take the time to ask a doctor you can truly trust about this before you settle for any drug.

3. Those who choose to participate in dangerous sports surely attract rates that are costly. Therefore stop any sport or activity that's either life-threatening or risky and you'll enjoy cheaper rates.

4. You'll spend less if you have more knowledge on the subject. Individuals who know more about health care and insurance get better deals. Furthermore, you'll find it easier to get every benefit that you are qualified for if you have access to the right information.

You can get help on health matters from government agencies by calling their number toll-free. One of such numbers is that of the National Health Information Center: 1-800-336-4797

5. That extra weight is costing you more in life and health insurance. Your BMI or Body Mass Index is a very important factor used to calculate your risk to an insurer.

The higher a person's Body Mass Index rating, the more expensive their rates will be. You're overweight for your height and sex if your BMI is high. Now don't wait until when you can lose 30 pounds because dropping as little as 5 pounds can drop you into a lower BMI rating which leads to cheaper rates.

As you do all these don't forget to get and compare quotes from five or more reputable sites. You will save a lot of money on health insurance if you obtain and compare quotes. Each site will take you around 5 minutes or less. (However, ensure you give your correct details as you complete the forms on each site. Giving wrong details will produce misleading results).

When you've received your quotes, compare them to determine which serves your interest best in price/value.

Here are great pages for insurance quotes...

Insurance Quotes

InsureMe Home And Auto Insurance Quotes

Publishers can get unique versions of my articles by following any of the links above. Click on "To Use My Articles" when you get to my site.

Chimezirim Odimba writes on insurance.

How to Get Health Insurance If You're Self Employed

Health insurance is a hot button topic in the United States these days, with vehement opposition and contentious debate. While the status of the reform efforts are still uncertain, and the prospect of universal health care is a thin one, there are ways to get health insurance even if you're part of the growing number of self employed or freelance workers. And you definitely need health insurance: the single biggest cause of personal bankruptcy is health care related and the of people without coverage are the single biggest piece of the bankruptcy pie.

Most people get their insurance through their jobs, where the large pools of customers give a bargaining advantage to customers that insurance companies can't ignore. This is a good bet for the insurance company as well, since they can spread the risks of payouts across a large number of clients in order to ensure they break even. If you're a freelance worker or self-employed you don't have those advantages, which can really increase the cost of any plan you qualify for. There are some rays of hope however, starting with the introduction of the COBRA plan in 1986.

COBRA stands for Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, a bill passed through congress to provide some support and relief for independent workers looking for health insurance. COBRA was an act that provided health insurance to unemployed or retired workers that also applies to self employed workers. COBRA is a government health insurance plan that provided some limited coverage, but isn't particularly well considered, with high premiums and generally ineffective administration. In lieu of a real general health insurance policy produced by the government, it won't meet all your needs, so you're more likely to have to look into private options for real health insurance.

There are some HMO (Health Maintenance Organizations) that offer local plans for self employed workers at reduced costs. HMOs limit the doctors and procedures they cover to reduce their costs but some insurance is better than none. Being regional, they're difficult to speak of in a general sense, but you can look into them at your local chamber of commerce.

There's also NASE, the National Association for the Self Employed, which has several special plans for freelancers. These policies are provided through the MEGA Life and Health Insurance Company, and while they're national they aren't the most comprehensive of plans. A related option is the Freelancer's Union, a quasi-union designed to offer protections to freelance and self employed workers though group leveraging. These options depend on the state you're in and they offer health as well as other types of insurance.

If you are of the Christian faith, there is also a unique health insurance alternative called Medi-Share. Technically it is not insurance, but provides much of the same coverage at a small cost to the customer.

Some states, like New York and Connecticut, have state health insurance plans open to freelancers. While they tend to offer effective and cheap care, they're naturally limited to the state they're offered in and this can complicate injuries or illnesses that occur when traveling or if you're not in one of the participating states. Because many of these options are state-dependent, you should check out your state's insurance offices to find out what applies to you and what the coverage types are.

Finally there's the premium option of just buying an individual health care plan. These vary from state to state as well, and without anyone else behind you they're often more expensive than other options. Some insurance companies have special plans for the self employed so you should check with the companies in you area to find the right option for you.

Bob previously wrote about a unique health insurance alternative called Medi-Share and you can also check out his review of Zander Term Life Insurance.