| For many people health insurance has become so | | | | your doctor visit charges that you pay out of |
| expensive that they are forced to do without it. | | | | your own pocket, and the percentage of your lab |
| Unfortunately this leaves them wide open to the | | | | work and other medical expenses that you pay. |
| financially devastating effects of a catastrophic | | | | Increasing your copay from 25% to 50% can |
| illness or a severe accident, which can wipe out a | | | | dramatically decrease your monthly health |
| lifetime of savings and decimate other assets in | | | | insurance premiums. |
| the blink of an eye. | | | | But even with these savings health insurance may |
| The health insurance crisis has gotten so bad that | | | | still be too expensive for many people. Some |
| almost 17% of all Maryland residents no longer | | | | people may be forced to re-think health insurance |
| have any health coverage at all, and more than | | | | entirely and look at health insurance as a safety |
| 50% of Maryland residents admit that keeping | | | | net for the protection of your assets and not as |
| their health insurance is a severe financial burden. | | | | a way to pay for routine health care. |
| It won't take much to push many of these | | | | By this I mean people may want to look at |
| people over the edge and create a health care | | | | purchasing a low-cost high-deductible health |
| nightmare. | | | | insurance policy. Such a policy, with a deductible of |
| Fortunately there are things you can do to help | | | | $2,000 or even $3,000, would pay nothing at all |
| keep the cost of your health care down - and for | | | | for your routine doctor office visits or routine lab |
| many people it may be necessary to completely | | | | work or most out-patient surgery. You would pay |
| re-think the reason for having health care | | | | those health expenses yourself. |
| insurance in the first place. | | | | Where your health insurance comes into play is |
| But let's start with a few simple things you can | | | | any time you have a major illness or a |
| do to help keep your health insurance premiums | | | | catastrophic accident, the type of medical |
| as low as possible. | | | | emergency that can cost tens or even hundreds |
| First, if your company offers group insurance you | | | | of thousands of dollars in just the blink of an eye. |
| need to consider participating in it. Group insurance | | | | In this way low-cost high-deductible health |
| is almost always less expensive than individual | | | | insurance is used only to protect your life savings, |
| health insurance. | | | | your home and other assets that you may have |
| Of course, if you are self employed or if your | | | | acquired over a lifetime. |
| company doesn't offer insurance then this won't | | | | But whether you choose to go the low-cost |
| be an option. | | | | high-deductible route or take the more traditional |
| Don't smoke or use tobacco products - and if | | | | path, the best place for you to get cheap health |
| you already do, stop. The amount of money you | | | | insurance is online. The multitude of |
| can save on health insurance if you don't smoke | | | | health-insurance-comparison websites makes it |
| is significant. Think about it. | | | | relatively quick and easy to compare policies and |
| Consider increasing your current co-payment. | | | | prices, allowing you to create the perfect policy |
| Your co-payment, or copay, is the percentage of | | | | for your needs at a price that you can afford. |