Inexpensive Health Insurance For All

Before you are able to buy inexpensive health insurance you need to know the different kinds of heath insurance that are available. So we are going to go through some classifications of the different health insurance types and see if we can help you identify which one will best suit you.

You are probably familiar with with or have at least heard of a PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) and an HMO (Health Maintenance Organization). These are the two classifications which get the most exposure in the media today. They are usually a part of a group insurance policy. The main difference between these plans is cost and choice. In an HMO plan you have a primary physician who has to sign off on medical choices for you, or in other words is your medical overseer. If you need specialist care he or she must sign off or refer you to the specialist. You are also confined to a certain network of doctors for your care. An HMO plan is usually the most confining but the cheapest of the two. You see, in a PPO plan you still have a network of physicians, however, if you so choose you can see a physician outside of this network but you will have to pay an extra amount to do so. A PPO is most expensive than an HMO but is favored by those who want to have more choice in their health care.

There are other types of health insurance plans not as well known. A POS (no, this actually stands for Point of Service) insurance plan is a combination of the PPO and HMO. You will chose a primary care physician, but you won’t get charged for seeing a doctor outside of the network. POS health care plans tend to run a bit higher than both the HMO or the PPO but, of course, is more flexible.

Indemnity plans are also available and can provide a good alternative to the other plans discussed thus far. Basically what happens with an indemnity plan is you are allowed a daily amount to spend on health care. Anything over this amount you will be responsible for at the end of the policy time frame. If you are looking for flexibility then this is the plan for you, but it comes at a price. It is the highest of the plans available which we have discussed.

You can find other twists and variations on these plans, but overall the above plans will be what you will find from health insurance providers. They are the basic types of classifications of plans. Choose the type you want to shop around for so you can make an apples to apples comparison.

The first thought you may have when you start exploring  inexpensive health insurance is where can I find good coverage at a low cost. This however, is not the fist place to start. The first place to start is within your realm of control. You should begin by asking “what can I do?” I remember when I was in the information technology industry and we were looking at how to back up our data. The vendor we were talking with asked what was the easiest way to keep the back up copies small. The answer was “back up less data” Much in the same way when you ask the question “how do I get cost effective health insurance?” the answer starts with “stay healthy” The healthier you are the easier it will be for you to get good health insurance coverage with minimal cost. Here are some low cost ways to start down a healthy path.

1. Exercise – I know we have all heard this before, but the health benefits of exercising are well documented. Just working out for 30 minutes 3 times a week will be enough to get your cardiovascular system on the right path. You don’t even need to join a gym. You can accomplish this just by getting out and walking or jogging.

2. Diet – The less excess weight you carry around with you, the lower your chance of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke will be. Try to eat 6 meals a day. Preferably smaller meals about every 2 to 4 hours apart. This will decrease your chance for blood  sugar levels to spike and keep your body producing insulin at a normal level which will in turn assist in guarding against diabetes. It will also increase your metabolism so you will burn more excess fat than eating 3 times a day.

3. Tobacco products – If this is an issue for you (if you use them at all) then find a way to quit. There are many good programs out there to assist you in stopping. Every thing from nicotine gum to nicotine patches to doctor assistance. Find one that will work for you and do it. Another added benefit is that you will save money when you are not purchasing tobacco products anymore. Many times the amount you save will be enough to pay for a good health insurance policy.

4. Alcohol – Cutting down on consumption of alcoholic beverages will increase liver function and also help with cutting down on excessive carbohydrate intake. Wine, notably red wine, has been linked to heart benefits over the year in several different studies. The key is not to drink in excess or the benefits will get washed away as your intoxication level rises.

5. Doctors – Many of us hate to go to the doctors office unless we “HAVE” to. However, getting regular checkups will help you make sure an illness doesn’t get out of hand and turn into a tragedy later on in life. Many serious health conditions are treatable if they are detected early (prostate cancer, skin cancer, hypertension, high blood pressure, and many others). Regular checkups will help you to qualify for good health insurance policies.

If you follow the 5 steps above it will start you on a path to find the most cost effective health insurance available whether it is private health insurance or with a group plan. Ignoring them will not only cost you money in the long run, but it could cost you much, much more.